Fort Lauderdale is often pictured as a paradise of sun-soaked beaches, luxury yachts, and vibrant nightlife. But beyond the postcard-perfect views and tourist hotspots lies a history just as deep and enduring as the tides. It may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of Black history but History Fort Lauderdale’s new permanent exhibit is a bridge between generations and an opportunity to understand the legacy.
“We have narratives on unique panels,” says Dr. Yvette Giles Stuart, exhibit curator and historian for History Fort Lauderdale. “Captivating photos, and intriguing artifacts all weave a story exclusively for this inspiring exhibit. It’s a walk through time for us and for everyone to see our narratives.”
Without proper representation in museums, the historical stories fade into the background, overshadowed by images of beachfront cocktails and high-rise developments. “Roots of Resilience: The Journey of Black Broward” shows resilience, triumph, and transformation spanning from 1793 to today.
From the earliest settlers who carved out a place in an unforgiving land to the trailblazers who shattered barriers and redefined the city’s identity, this history is more than a timeline—it’s a testament to strength, culture, and an unyielding pursuit of justice.
“I have been interested in history, specifically my family’s history and the history of our Black community, since I was a little girl,” says Stuart. “As an only child, I was a captive audience for my parents, so I listened when they and other elders in my family shared their fascinating stories.”
Before she was an exhibit curator, Stuart would regularly visit History Fort Lauderdale. She even selected the venue for her pre-wedding family dinner on June 2, 2023. After becoming familiar with the museum’s staff, she started working for the organization in December of that same year.
“My research and writing process for this took approximately 14 months,” says Stuart. “While I contributed several photos to the project, most of the photos and all the artifacts were sourced from History Fort Lauderdale and other contributors. Ellery Andrews (Deputy Director of History Fort Lauderdale) played a pivotal role with her extensive resources and expertise within History Fort Lauderdale. She managed these resources and secured photos from various institutions and families, strategically placing them to enhance the narrative of each panel. Her role was instrumental in the success of the project.”
Finding The Past
Stuart’s appreciation for history, the Black community, and family stories, led to her fingers hovering over the keyboard before clicking on another website, another database, another hope that a long-forgotten piece of Black history in Fort Lauderdale would finally surface.
For hours, she had been chasing threads—digging through the layers of time, scrolling endlessly through digitized archives, and enlarging faded newspaper clippings. The headlines, some yellowed with age, spoke of a different Fort Lauderdale, one where segregation lines were drawn in the sand, where Black pioneers built communities with their own hands, where protests and resilience reshaped the city’s soul.
“I spent countless hours using online resources,” says Stuart. “Including . . . databases to explore the then Fort Lauderdale News, now Sun Sentinel, in its various iterations from the 1920s to the early 1990s.”
Stuart says that during the 1940s through the end of segregation, the Fort Lauderdale News segregated its paper, restricting all news about Black citizens to its “Negro Community News” section.
“Perusing each issue’s ‘Negro Community News’ enabled me to learn about the community’s primary concerns – from brief articles and announcements about various organizations’ meetings, workshops, and events to personal news about births, graduations, weddings, traveling ventures and deaths.”
“Roots of Resilience” takes a journey through time with a rich collection of artifacts, rare photographs, and deeply personal oral histories from African-American residents and their ancestors. From the harrowing days of slavery and the oppressive grip of Jim Crow to the fight for civil rights and the ongoing pursuit of equality today, visitors will explore the challenges and triumphs that defined generations.
“The two-room exhibit includes display cases featuring artifacts from History Fort Lauderdale’s vast collection,” says Stuart. “These artifacts, such as items utilized at Fort Lauderdale’s historic Provident Hospital by the area’s first Black physician, Dr. James Franklin Sistrunk, and documents signed by Sistrunk, serve as tangible connections to our shared history.”
The earliest date for the narratives would have been at the turn of the century. Rodney Dillon, History Fort Lauderdale’s supervising historian, mentions 1793 in the narrative he wrote for the panel on early African-American experiences in Florida.
Personal Histories
Narrative panels are each paired with photographs. “Resilience and Rhythm: The Cultural Flourishing of Broward’s Black Community” is a tribute to the legendary jazz saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, hailed as “Broward’s Local Legend” for his groundbreaking contributions to music.
Another panel, “The Victory Theatre: Broward’s First Black Movie House,” transports visitors to an era when this cherished venue served as a rare sanctuary for Black moviegoers, offering a space for joy, escapism, and community amidst segregation.
“Rhythms of Unity: Brownie’s Bar’s Legacy in Broward County” unveils the unexpected story of Brownie’s Bar, a white-owned nightclub that defied the racial barriers of the 1930s. Established by Brownie L. Robertson, the venue became a groundbreaking hotspot, welcoming Black patrons and featuring electrifying performances by some of the most renowned Black musicians of the time, including the popular vocalist of the swing era Cab Calloway. Despite the oppressive constraints of segregation, Brownie’s Bar pulsed with the energy of unity.
“As you walk through the exhibition, you will catch a glimpse of two of my relatives and my godfather,” says Stuart. “My father, Alphonso Giles, my grand uncle, Clayton Taylor, and my godfather, Leon Storr, all have stories that intertwine with the exhibit’s narratives.”
Her father, a World War II veteran and retired teacher, arrived in Fort Lauderdale with his family in 1924. He later became the science department head at Dillard High, Wingate Junior High, Everglades Middle, and Lauderdale Lakes Middle schools. He was also one of the founding members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., graduate chapter and a charter member of the Jolly Anglers Boating Club, described on a panel and initially founded by her godfather, Leon Storr.
“My father’s stories featured in the exhibit intertwine with the history of segregated beaches, his cabin cruiser, “Sea Hunter,” and the tragic death of Rubin Stacy, who was lynched in police custody in 1935,” says Stuart. “My uncle Clayton Taylor, who arrived in Fort Lauderdale before 1920, was a prolific farmer, small-business owner, and one of the earliest presidents of the NAACP. I am honored to share these stories and rarely seen photos of these individuals, each of whom significantly shaped our local history.”
Passing On Legacies
Through these stories and more, “Roots of Resilience” paints a vivid portrait of a community that thrived in the face of adversity, its rhythm and resilience echoing across generations. This theme of perseverance and cultural memory is one that historian and educator Dr. Marvin Dunn has spent his career exploring.
“Broward County attracted a lot of Black people because of farm work,” says Dunn. “Napoleon Broward, who Broward County was named after, wanted Black people shipped back to Africa. Broward County was very similar to other parts of what we saw in the south.”
Since 1972, Dunn has been with Florida International University and after the 1980s riot in Miami, he became more intrigued with local history and race relations and is an advocate for preserving and sharing Black history in Florida.
“They need to take kids to something like this and where Black history was made,” says Dunn. “It’s one thing to read it, but I believe in walking the grounds. That’s how connections are made emotionally.”
Dunn says that the exhibition is a place for younger generations to learn about the past.
“I believe in teaching the truth and taking truth tours,” says Dunn. “We have to get this history into their hands and minds. As much as I wish they’d walk the bloody grounds of where history is made, it’s not realistic to expect that. But what is realistic is reaching them digitally and making this exhibit and more accessible, especially to young people.”
Stuart says her growing up made her interested in learning more about the city and county’s Black history.
“As the daughter of two resolute Broward County educators who began teaching during the mid- to late 1940s, the evolution of Black education captivated me,” says Stuart. “I’ve learned so much from this. A graphic timeline illustrates key milestones, such as the opening of the first school in 1903, the second in 1905, and so forth. This walk through of trailblazers will make visitors walk away from this exceptional exhibit feeling inspired and uplifted – and eager to return for more.”
WHAT:
“Roots of Resilience: The Journey of Black Broward”
WHEN:
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
TICKETS:
$15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for students. Admission is free for members, military, and children ages six and under.
WHERE:
231 SW 2nd Ave. Dixie Highway, Fort Lauderdale
INFORMATION:
954-463-4431 or info@historyfortlauderdale.org
for tickets
