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    Now Hiring! Sarasota African American Cultural Center Director of Development​

    August 7, 2024
    The Director of Development will be responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive development strategy to support SAACC’s mission and growth. This role involves cultivating and stewarding relationships with donors,
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    Observer: Newtown is the largest Black historic district in Florida.

    August 6, 2024
    Thanks to the efforts of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition preservation project, Sarasota has become the second city ever to win the Stewards of Heritage Award as it is
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    Herald Tribune: Historic Leonard Reid home renovation to open as Newtown cultural center in January

    December 8, 2023
    SARASOTA — After a year of construction and updates, renovations of the former home of Sarasota African American pioneer Leonard Reid are nearing completion and the former home will soon
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    Newtown celebrates history of Newtown with new quilt – Observer

    November 16, 2023
    The Newtown community in Sarasota, Florida, has a rich history that spans over a century, and now, local artist and community leader, Barbara Gaskin, has created a quilt that honors
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    Changing curriculum urges scholar to spark conversation

    August 23, 2023
    WUSF 89.7’s Kerry Sheridan interviews Sarasota resident and author James Stewart about Florida’s changing Advanced Placement Black History curriculum. The Florida Department of Education has revised its curriculum for Black
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    Rosalyn Howard Remembered

    June 6, 2023
    A committed scholar and amazing Friend. Dr. Rosalyn Howard is remembered by Vickie Oldham. SAAC President and CEO Vickie Oldham memorialized Dr. Rosalyn Howard recently in the Herald Tribune .
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    New SAAC Updates for Reid House and more!

    March 29, 2023
    Here are some SAAC updates about our current programs, events, and efforts to convert a historic house into an African American arts, culture, and history center in Sarasota. Our momentum
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    Sarasota African American Arts and Cultural Center designer receives unique donation

    October 24, 2022
    Sarasota Herald-Tribune  Juan Self is the designer and architect for the Sarasota African American Cultural Center (SAACC), a center and museum planned for the heart of Sarasota’s historically Black neighborhood of Newtown.
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    Baseball Hall of Famer Buck O’Neil’s legacy honored with Key to the City of Sarasota

    August 16, 2022
    Sarasota Herald-Tribune The enduring legacy of John “Buck” O’Neil was honored with the Key to the City of Sarasota on July 24 to celebrate his induction into the National Baseball
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    YourObserver.com: Historic Leonard Reid House on the move to Newtown

    May 30, 2022
    After it arrives from the Rosemary District to its new site in Newtown, the home of the “right-hand man” to Sarasota’s first mayor will become home to a new Sarasota
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    WTSP Tampa Bay 10: Leonard Reid’s descendant speaks as house moves to become a museum

    May 30, 2022
    Reid’s house would be moved to a new location on Orange Avenue at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Way in Newtown early Friday morning. The City of Sarasota joined by
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    WTSP Tampa Bay 10: Historic Leonard Reid house set to move to Newtown on Friday

    May 30, 2022
    Reid helped set up Sarasota’s first black community in Overtown. The house would be the first home for the Sarasota African American Art Center and History Museum. This Friday, the
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    ABC 7: Sarasota historic home to be moved to new location

    May 30, 2022
    The City of Sarasota has announced that the historic Leonard Reid house will be relocated this week to City-owned property in North Sarasota. There, the structure will become the first
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    Fox 13 Tampa Bay: Historic Leonard Reid home relocated to new location in Sarasota to preserve history

    May 30, 2022
    History was literally on the move in Sarasota during the overnight hours. Crews drove the Leonard Reid house from its original spot in Newtown to a location in north Sarasota. It
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    Herald Tribune: Home of African American trailblazer Leonard Reid relocated to the heart of Newtown

    May 30, 2022
    The history of Sarasota’s African American early settlers can be traced back to one name in the historic Overtown community, Leonard Reid. The Reid home was built in 1926. The
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    Sarasota Magazine: Historic Leonard Reid House Will Be Relocated to Newtown This Week

    May 30, 2022
    The structure will become the first home for Sarasota African American Art Center and History Museum. On Friday, May 27, the historic Leonard Reid house will be relocated this week
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    Sun, sand and civil rights: Uncovering Black history at the beach and beyond

    March 21, 2022
    Sarasota, Florida’s white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters draw visitors from far and wide, but they weren’t always so welcoming. “Few of our guests, our international and domestic tourists who come
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    The Soul of Sarasota | Greater Sarasota Video

    March 21, 2022
    Building on her roots in the black church in Newtown, Melanie Lavender turned to writing and performing spoken word as a way to heal from multiple tragedies. She continues to
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    Other Articles

    Oldham and Williams: Newtown needs an arts center and museum

    Cultural arts centers, museums and libraries situated in the heart of African American neighborhoods add texture, vibrancy and richness to a community. The facilities bring diverse people together and invite residents, visitors and guests to venture into underrepresented communities. Welcome doors swing open both ways for an understanding and exploration of the unknown and unfamiliar. READ MORE

    Proposals for Newtown Cultural Center in Students’ Hands

    “More than a dozen Gators sat in a circle at the Goodwill Selby Newtown Center on Friday morning to launch an academic project that the community hopes will have a concrete outcome. The University of Florida architecture and construction students had come from Gainesville on a mission to develop proposals for a new cultural arts center in the heart of the Newtown on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way.” Read more about the upcoming Newtown Cultural Arts Center in the Herald Tribune. READ MORE

    Seidman: An idea long overdue

    Cities from Washington, D.C. to Punta Gorda have centers preserving local black history. Why doesn’t Sarasota?

    St. Petersburg has one. So does Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Manatee County and (soon) Longboat Key. Tampa has two. And though it took decades to realize, one finally opened in the nation’s capital two years ago. READ MORE