Teganjaz Books Presents... Author, Tracy L. Darity

Something is seriously wrong in the city where I live and it has nothing to do with the beautiful sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico; the near perfect weather where the sun is said to shine at least 360 days a year; or the fact that for every person you meet you are probably connected to them by at least 3 other people. No, when I speak about something being wrong, I am talking about the lack of black culture being celebrated in a city that celebrates everything.

There use to be a time when St. Petersburg, Florida, was considered the retirement capitol, but things have changed and we are experiencing a lot of growth and a lot of energy, particularly in the cultural arts. Yet, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, at a tree-lined park, just blocks from downtown—and a block from Tropicana Field where the Tampa Bay Rays, our major league baseball team was scheduled to play later in the day--the 19th annual Juneteenth Festival took place. Juneteenth of St. Petersburg, Inc., the organization that took over the festival five years ago did a great job in providing entertainment, recreation, and a wide variety of vendors offering something for everyone. The only thing missing were citizens of St. Petersburg, and many of the tourists in the area for summer vacation.

Does that last sentence sound familiar, if so, it’s probably because you read it in my blog about the 1st annual James Weldon Johnson Festival? What is really going on in our city? If it were a matter of certain people not supporting the event because it celebrates a part of our history that makes them uncomfortable, or because it was held in “South St. Pete,” which is code word for the “black” part of town; I could easily scream racism. But what perplexes me is what I see not only at Juneteenth but many events organized by, and used to celebrate, our culture—we, the people being celebrated don’t even bother to show up. I go to festivals and various events within the city and most are well attended, some to the tune of ten’s of thousand’s of people over the course of a 3-day weekend. But the only event in our city that matches those numbers for an event that celebrates who we are; are those held over the Martin Luther King, Jr Day, weekend.

Two women stopped at my booth during the Juneteenth event and asked me where the “black” part of town was. They were visiting from out of state and staying at a hotel downtown. After breakfast they started walking, which was how they stumbled upon the festival. (No, there was no literature or marketing material at the hotel, and the concierge service didn’t suggest it as something they should do while in town.) I really didn’t know how to take the question. I am all about diversity, so the fact that tourist couldn’t identify a part of town as being designated for a group of people, is good—right. But on the other hand, it begs the question; do ethnic groups lose their identity when their city becomes a melting pot? Or, is it that we need designated areas as a reminder that we in fact, have a culture that should be celebrated. After I gave them the coordinates of the plot of land known as Midtown, they looked saddened to learn that the park we were in and the festival taking place was actually in the black community. I can only wonder if they were thinking the same as me, what is wrong with this picture.

This thing that I speak of seems to be engrained deeper into our community than we may like to believe. Earlier this year Goliath Davis, a top city official, and black man, was fired from his position. He called a midday press conference and two hundred people showed up to hear what he had to say. Yet, a few weeks later the James Weldon Johnson Festival was held at the same location, to celebrate the legacy of the man who composed “Lift Every Voice.” Aside from the vendors and staff only a small fraction of that number attended. We encourage our children to develop their talents and strive to be successful, but when it comes time to present them to the world the community support is not there and we ask why. Events like Juneteenth is the place to showcase their talent. It is a collaborative effort and we must all show up and support what is important as much and as often as possible. 

Perhaps the focus of our community is simply misplaced and as a result our culture is being ignored and slowly fading from existence. Maybe other people see our lack or interest and participation in things that should be important to us, and think; why should they care if we don’t care. Or maybe there is something buried deep in our City’s history that is manifesting itself and making us think we have nothing to celebrate. Whatever the reason, we need to figure it out and move beyond it. We have a rich history and a bright future. St. Petersburg is birthing so much talent in various spectrums but our contribution is failing to thrive because it’s not being supported by our community. If we aren’t willing to collectively shout from the rooftop that we’re here and have something to contribute to this city, then we can’t complain as we are systematically washed from the landscape.

Much Love,

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! and Love…Like Snow In Florida on a Hot Summer Day. For more information, visit www.TracyLDarity.com.