“Presence / Erasure: Black History in St. Augustine” Closing Event

Join Governor’s House Library for guest speaker Gayle Phillips on Thursday, August 25, 2022 at 6:00pm-7:00pm on Zoom.  The online event is the closing of the “Presence / Erasure: Black History in St. Augustine” exhibition.

Tracing the city’s 450+ years of Black experiences and stories, the exhibit also examines the critical role Black St. Augustinians played in the development of St. Augustine, Florida and the United States.

The exhibition is largely drawn from across the UF George A. Smathers Libraries’ Special and Area Studies Collections and Governor’s House Library.  And, it also consists of contributions from Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center and St. Augustine Historical Society.

The artifacts on display include historical photographs, brochures, maps, and more documenting Black presence in St. Augustine over the centuries. Represented in the exhibit are the Black communities and people of Fort Mose, Lincolnville, and West Augustine.

Phillips currently serves as Executive Director of the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center which is housed in the historic Excelsior High School. Beginning as a volunteer in 2015, she’s been instrumental in its transformation and development over the past five years.

Free and open to the public. However, registration is necessary by clicking the event website link.

“Presence / Erasure: Black History in St. Augustine” is curated by Laura Marion and Casey Wooster.  The physical exhibit is on view on the second floor of the Smathers Library on the University of Florida campus July 15 – August 31, 2022.