Walking Tour of Historic African-American Main Street Is Set for Saturday, March 6

St. Petersburg Preservation Inc., the Carter Woodson Museum and the 22^nd Street Redevelopment Corp. are sponsoring a special walking tour of historic 22^nd Street South starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 6 from the Carter G. Woodson Museum of African American History, 2240 Ninth Avenue S. The tour is free for members of St. Petersburg Preservation or the Carter Woodson Museum and a $5 donation is requested from non-members. Free parking is available at the museum or directly across the street from the museum.

During the segregation era, 22^nd Street South was the vibrant main street of St. Petersburg’s African American community. At its zenith about 1960, the street was home to more than 100 businesses, many Black-owned and operated. The legendary Manhattan Casino, host to such top performers as Louis Armstrong,12 James Brown, and Duke Ellington, was a cornerstone. The segregated Mercy Hospital and Royal Theater were landmarks. Memories still remain of Geech’s Barbecue, Henderson’s Sundries, Harden’s Grocery, and Doctors Pharmacy.

The tour 1 ½ to 2 hour tour will discuss the importance of 22^nd Street Sourth and tell the story of African-Americans in St. Petersburg. Guides are lifelong resident James Oliver, community historian Minson Rubin, and Jon Wilson, a retired St. Petersburg Times journalist who has co-authored two books on the city’s African-American history.

For more information about St. Petersburg Preservation and its other historic walking tours, visit www.stpetepreservation.org. For information about the Carter Woodson Museum, visit www.woodsonmuseum.org and for information about the 22^nd Stree Redeveloment Corp., visit, www.discover22ndst.com.

CONTACTS:

P.O Box 838 Event Line: 727/824-7802

St. Petersburg, FL 33731 www.stpetepreservation.org

Peter Belmont, peterbelmont@earthlink.net, (727) 463-4612

Jon Wilson, jlwilso5@mail.usf.edu, (727) 488-3382