Organizing a Florida History Conference: Community Efforts in Revising History

On February 14, 1957, A. Philip Randolph called for a conference to gather resources to create a written record of African American history in Florida. It was to focus especially on black achievements. The conference was to be held at the Clara White Mission with Eartha M.M. White as the conference's temporary chairman. The Eartha M.M. White Collection contains a letter from Randolph announcing the event and inviting recipients to participate.

The revision of collective historical memory cannot be accomplished alone. Communities must be organized to research and recover information that has been lost or received little visibility. That was the intention of the conference held in Jacksonville in 1957, as well as the Emancipation Celebrations of decades past. Gatherings such as these required the support of local black leaders and businesspeople, a line of communication in this case through letters, and those with experience with writing academic texts. White was well-suited to fulfilling these requirements and recruiting others who could help.