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Newtown Alive:: Courage, Dignity, Determination
This book chronicles the history of Sarasota, Florida’s African American community — Newtown — that celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2014. It answers questions about many aspects of community why the earliest African Americans who came to Sarasota, then a tiny fishing village, first settled in areas near downtown called "Black Bottom" and "over town;" their transition from there to Newtown; how they developed Newtown from swampland into a self-contained community to ensure their own survival during the Jim Crow era; the ways they earned a living, what self-help organizations they formed; their religious and educational traditions; residents’ military service, the strong emphasis placed on education; how they succeeded in gaining political representation after filing a federal lawsuit; and much more. Newtown residents fought for civil rights, endured and triumphed over Jim Crow segregation, suffered KKK intimidation and violence, and currently are resisting the stealthy gentrification of their community. Whether you are new to the area, a frequent visitor, an educator, historian or a longtime resident trying to connect the dots in your family tree, you will find these stories of courage, dignity and determination enlightening and empowering!
266 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2017
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December 2, 2024
This book makes a major contribution to the historical record of Sarasota County, and particularly to the little known story of the African American community of Newtown. Written as part of the Newtown Conservation Historic District project (NCHD), the book provides a comprehensive history based on existing documents and histories, along with recent oral interviews of some of the citizens of Newtown. The glimpses it gives into the past and present conditions are invaluable.
The authors begin with the early African American settlers in Sarasota and the communities they formed, first in Overtown (Black Bottom, just north of downtown), and later in Newtown. Turpentine camps along Bee Ridge and Fruitville Roads and south in the Laurel community of Venice were also important African American enclaves. Strict segregation in the Jim Crow era meant that African Americans could not shop or live or go to school or recreate in white Sarasota. Instead t hey relied on their own businesses and community services, thus strengthening the ties that the residents felt toward Newtown. Little by little and with courage and determination the black community learned to speak with a unified voice and insist on their rights. The authors show how the Newtown community learned techniques of protest and activism to reach their goals.
Across the spectrum of life activities—employment, education, health care, politics, sports and civic organizations, religion—the black community found ways of triumphing over their limited circumstances and racist policies that sought to keep them separate and unequal. This book should be required reading for high school students in Florida history classes. I hope that it will be read widely among Sarasota County adults as well.
The authors begin with the early African American settlers in Sarasota and the communities they formed, first in Overtown (Black Bottom, just north of downtown), and later in Newtown. Turpentine camps along Bee Ridge and Fruitville Roads and south in the Laurel community of Venice were also important African American enclaves. Strict segregation in the Jim Crow era meant that African Americans could not shop or live or go to school or recreate in white Sarasota. Instead t hey relied on their own businesses and community services, thus strengthening the ties that the residents felt toward Newtown. Little by little and with courage and determination the black community learned to speak with a unified voice and insist on their rights. The authors show how the Newtown community learned techniques of protest and activism to reach their goals.
Across the spectrum of life activities—employment, education, health care, politics, sports and civic organizations, religion—the black community found ways of triumphing over their limited circumstances and racist policies that sought to keep them separate and unequal. This book should be required reading for high school students in Florida history classes. I hope that it will be read widely among Sarasota County adults as well.
Displaying 1 of 1 review