Pop-Up Library - Black History Month

Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The Black History Month 2023 theme, “Black Resistance,” explores how "African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings," since the nation's earliest days (History.com Editors, A&E Television Networks, January 20, 2023).

For Black History month in South Florida, we learn about Pearl City a community established in 1915 for African American residents that was located south of what is today Glades Boulevard between Dixie and Federal Highway. This local area became home for African American farm workers enabling them to reside closer to farms and not have to make the long walk after work down to Deerfield. In 1985, FAU sociology professor Dr. Art Evans conducted a series of interviews of longtime Pearl City residents on behalf of the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum.

The FAU Digital Library in partnership with the Boca Raton Historical Society later digitized the interviews and created the Pearl City Oral History Collection. Listen to the sound recordings or read the transcripts to learn about the African American residents who lived in the Pearl City community.

Resources on the Web

Also see the Research Guides listed below for many resources and websites.