Orlando’s Division Street: The history behind what became a symbol of segregation

Historian Tana Porter wrote this story about Orlando’s Division Street for the Winter 2016 issue of Reflections from Central Florida, the magazine of the Historical Society of Central Florida. Division Street, now known as Division Avenue, has become a symbol of our city's segregation period.

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Chief Wilson and the Jones High School Band

Working against the odds, teenagers and their band leader became effective goodwill ambassadors for Orlando’s African American community in the days before the Civil Rights Movement.

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Screening of “Marching Forward” Tells Inspiring Orlando Story

In honor of Black History Month, Mayor Jerry L. Demings and the History Center proudly presents a special showing of the award-winning documentary film “Marching Forward.”

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Mary McLeod Bethune: Educator & Activist

Known during her lifetime as the “First Lady of Negro America,” Mary McLeod Bethune is remembered for her contributions as an educator and civil rights activist. Although the founding of Bethune-Cookman University is probably her most well-known accomplishment, it is one of many.

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