St. Petersburg Black History Tours

Two Black history tours of St. Pete are offered by a local historian, Josette Green. Choose a bike tour or walking tour (schedules below). Black History Bike Tours Join this four-hour, immersive experience. The bike tour takes participants to places where history began for St. Pete’s African American community as well as important current-day locations. Led by a local historian, the tour helps foster an understanding of the roots of the systemic racism that's in place today. While a docent at an area museum, Green saw the impact of teaching this important history and was impassioned to continue. Black History Walking Tours: Hidden Historic Campbell Park Historian Josette Green also offers the "Hidden Historic Campbell Park: A Revealing Walking Tour." Hidden behind the barrier wall of I-175, Campbell Park is rich in history as St. Pete's first "Negro Park." It was home to the Negro Baseball League where Jackie Robinson and Jessie Owens played, among many other greats. While walking on an easy 1.5-mile route, historian Josette Green regales participants with stories aided by photos and maps of the past in this robust park of today. The history told contrasts the fun and leisurely times with the sobering reality of the marginalization of Black people, with a park originally dedicated in 1950 "for the permanent use by Negroes." The environment of today is always impacted by the history of the past, and Campbell Park is no exception. Learn how you can make a difference in tomorrow.