Black Railroad Men who built Modern Florida to be Honored during Black History Month at Pioneer Florida Museum

Dade City, FL — February 27, 2010 — Florida’s rapid growth over the past 150 years is directly linked to the railroads built by Plant, Flagler and Yulee.  These men built the railroads that brought tourists and new residents to Florida, but railroads can only run with the help of railroad men who repair and manage them.  On Saturday, we will listen to African Americans who blazed a new career trail for their race, their families and our state on the rails of Florida - and we will honor their contribution to Florida’s future as well as its multi-cultural history.

The railroad jobs provided a beacon of hope within the black community, where finding solid employment outside of agriculture was more often the stuff of dreams. Between them, James Pressley, Albert Harpe, Townsend Scott, and G.C. Williams have nearly 120 years of experience working on Florida’s railroads. On Saturday this panel of now retired railroad men will tell stories of their days on Florida’s rails at the old Triby depot, now enshrined at the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City.

“Black Men Working on the Railroad in Florida”, is a program developed by African American Heritage Society of East Pasco President Imani D. Asukile.  The success and racial progress of black railroad men like Pressley, Harpe, Scott and Williams, profoundly impacted the dreams of their community, showing what black Americans could achieve beyond the railroad. The moderator of this panel – Mr. Asukile – is an example of this influence as he is the son of a Seaboard Coast Line Railroad boxcar sweeper who worked at the Brooksville yard and in Tampa.

Pioneer Florida Museum & Village is proud to offer a program of such relevance to the Black History of the West Coast of Florida.  Come and hear – while we still can - what these men endured to make a living for their families, as well as the legacy they leave to all of us.

For information:  www.pioneerfloridamuseum.or 
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Phone: (Cell) 813-727-3920   Office: (352) 567-0262