The Tampa Bay History Center and WUSF present a program on the Florida Chitlin' Circuit, a network of Black-owned venues that thrived during the Jim Crow era. Local and national experts will discuss how these clubs fostered community and launched the careers of iconic musicians such as Ray Charles. NPR journalist and musician Eric Deggans will lead the discussion, shedding light on this overlooked chapter of American music history.
Panelists -ERIC DEGGANS | TV and Media Critic, NPR | Musician | Author, Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation
-Arthenia Joyner | Former Senator and Civil Rights Attorney | Daughter of Henry Joyner who owned Joyner's Cotton Club
-Michelle Scott | Professor of History, University of Maryland, Baltimore County | Author, T.O.B.A. Time: Black Vaudeville and the Theater Owners' Booking Association in Jazz-Age America
-Sharon Preston-Folta | Award-winning filmmaker and author of Little Satchmo | Daughter of Louis Armstrong
Florida Conversations is free and accessible in person and streamed live on Zoom. We thank our sponsors: USF Libraries, WUSF Public Media, and AARP Tampa Bay. Additional sponsor support is graciously provided by Shelley Blood and the Lorenzo Molay Family.