The Fascinating Foundations of Florida's African-American Experience:

What You Need to Know About Lakeland, Polk County, and the Central Florida Region

Presented by:

Florida Southern College's Lawton M. Chiles Center for Florida History and the Lakeland History Room at the Lakeland Public Library.

This is the second in a series of discussions about topics related to the history of Florida, Polk county and the Central Florida Region. The format is a live and provocative give-and-take exchange between Polk County's esteemed historians Drs. James M. "Mike" Denham and Canter Brown, Jr. Each with decades of work has earned high accolades for professional excellence in teaching and writing, including the Florida Historical Society's coveted Rembert Patrick Prize.

Individually and together, they have explored sorely neglected and misunderstood corners of Florida's past. Whether the subject has involved frontier violence, Cracker families, African American accomplishments and legacies, remarkable women, or any other point of interest along the way, Denham and Brown consistently have brought their focus to the human level, often directing specific attention to the Tampa Bay region and, particularly, Polk County.

A question-and-answer format will offer structure to their interaction, but no restrictions have been imposed on our participants as to subject matter or opinion. Join us as we pull back the curtain on our shared, surprising, and sometimes spectacular past.

To learn more about our authors' most-recent works and current projects AND/OR submit questions to this chair-side chat or please send it by February 22 to LuAnn Mims at LuAnn.Mims@lakelandgov.net. Or call 863.834.4269

WATCH the live broadcast

Spectrum channel 643, FiOS channel 43

www.LakelandGov.net/TV

www.YouTube.com/LakelandGov

To ATTEND the Live event there is limited availability for social distanced seating at the City of Lakeland Council Chambers – call for a reservation – 863.834.4269