SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. — Did you know that the parking lot around Tropicana Field used to be a Black neighborhood? Or, did you know that many families of color have lacked access to building generational wealth? I didn’t know either.

[Disclaimer: This piece does not intend to repeat all of the information given during the tour. The Gazette encourages you to experience it in person. You can get a place on the tour here: St. Petersburg Black History Bike Tour. This chronicle compiles photos taken by The Gazette and highlights of the tour to document and share with you.]

The Gazette went on the St. Petersburg Black History Bike Tour, a Photo-Chronicle

It was a sunny day. I rode my bike to the wellness center located on 15th Ave. S. and 22nd St. The bicycle riders that joined the tour were helmet-ready and fashioned yellow reflective vests.

They were listening to the guide and founder of the St. Petersburg Black History Bike Tour, local historian Josette Green. The Gazette learned about her project after watching WFTS’s story about the tour.

With volunteers helping guide the caravan of over 20 riders, Green led our group through the city and the history of this land, which is still palpable.

Before the tour, Green told the Gazette during a phone interview that she arrived in St. Pete in 1993. “This is home,” she said.

After COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020 as well as the publication of the 2021 Structural Racism Study by the city of St. Pete, she decided to use her knowledge to educate and empower the community.

“There’s power in standing in our land,” she told The Gazette.

The Tour

Our bike tour started a bit after 9:00 a.m. Our first stop was Pepper Town. Instead of a neighborhood, there’s an avenue and an office. We learned here about the first Black workers who moved into the city, confined to certain areas due to racist laws until they were displaced from the neighborhood in the early 1900s.

Our second stop was minutes away in Methodist Town. We parked our bikes in front of the Bethel A.M.E. Church, where we learned about the efforts of Mr. Chester James, who fought to empower his community.

During this stop, The Gazette learned about how White supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan harassed and acted with violence against the Black communities of St. Pete.

Trigger warning.

During our next stop, parking under the shade of trees, we learned about lynchings of Black people in the city. Green shared with us news clippings from 1914 when a man called John Evans was killed in a lynching.

As the tour went on, it became evident that St. Pete’s history has episodes of unspeakable cruelty and injustice.

Tropicana Field’s parking lot was our next stop. We learned here about how Black families lost their homes by eminent domain, to make way for projects that were never finished by the city.

Instead, a parking lot and a stadium were developed years later.

This history still echoes in the rooms of City Hall to this day, especially since the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District became a main topic of discussion in the local government.

“You don’t see life here,” said Green while standing and speaking with us in the asphalt parking lot. That same day, Tropicana Field hosted the WWE’s Royal Rumble.

We rode away from the Rays Stadium to our fifth stop, just South of St. Pete’s Downtown Area.

We parked our bikes outside of a building erected in 1925 by Elder Jordan Jr. This building today is called: “Manhattan Casino.” Back in the day, it was called Jordan Dance Hall, where some of the best jazz and blues musicians of the last century got to play.

“More than just a concert venue, the building played host to a variety of community events including dances, coronations, and the Gibbs High School Junior and Senior proms,” reads a sign containing historical information.

We continued Southbound until we got to the Historic Jordan Elementary. We learned here about how rentals replaced home ownership in some Black neighborhoods, stunting the capacity to generate wealth over generations.

The last stop on a bicycle was outside of the building that hosted the first Black hospital in St. Pete. The building of Mercy Hospital was helped by Mr. Elder Jordan, Sr. who placed canisters in 1920 at businesses for people to support with their change. This was to kick off fundraising efforts, Green explained. The hospital opened in 1923.

In 1946 the city knew they needed to rebuild or renovate Mercy Hospital and the city initially contributed $500.

According to the 2021 Structural Racism Study, available on the city’s website, St. Pete is still deeply segregated, Black people’s ownership of homes is half when compared to their White counterparts, and a Black person’s life span is 66.5 years, while White people live well into their eighties.

Green shared some tips to take action:

• Shop and spend at Black-owned businesses. You can review the Green Book of Tampa Bay.
• If you are an influencer in your company or business, review salaries and hiring practices so there is no racial inequity in salaries and that your staff mirrors the city’s demographics; 20% of the population in St. Pete is Black, according to the U.S. Census.
• Telling people about the tour. You can also check out the website and the St. Petersburg Black History Bike Tour Facebook group.
• Share what you learned

We rode back to the wellness center where the tour started. Local resident Elihu Brayboy, a.k.a. Mr. B, sat with us to discuss what we have all learned.

We sat in a circle, and Mr. B told us his story. He also shared his knowledge about the discrimination that artists and athletes in St. Pete had to go through. We discussed how history from years or decades ago still impacts our lives today.

The conversation with Mr. B was energizing. And some minutes before 1 p.m., the tour was adjourned.

The bicycle riders shared their thoughts with The Gazette, praising the tour and reflecting on the difficult parts of the history of St. Pete.

“Some things are a little difficult to hear… you know… just to see how the past was for Black people,” Lavon Donald told The Gazette. “But it is much needed,” she added.

Clara Merangoli, told The Gazette that she was eager to use what she had learned to support Black-owned businesses.

“Great tour! Very informative,” said Demetrius Tilley. “It really enlightened me.”

Robert Donald shared his thoughts as well. “It is so truthful.” He said that he liked it and hoped the project would keep going for “years and years.”

“I am struck by the systemic cruelty,” Colleen Troy said.

“A group like [the one] we had on Saturday just adds to my feelings that we’ve done something worthwhile and made a difference in our community,” Green told The Gazette over email a couple of days later.

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Edit 1: In the first edition of this issue, it read that Elder Jordan Sr. built the building where Manhattan Casino is located today. That was a mistake. It was Elder Jordan Jr. who built it. This edit took place in Jan. 30, 2024.

Edit 2: When this story was first published, it called the tour: “Black History Bike Tour.” The full name is: “St. Petersburg Black History Bike Tour.” Changes should be reflected. This edit took place in Jan. 30, 2024.

Edit 3: The first version of this article mistakenly claimed the city contributed $200 for the construction of the hospital in 1920. That is not true. The city contributed only $500 in 1946 when there was a need to rebuild or renovate Mercy Hospital. This edit took place in Jan. 30, 2024.

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