Date of Award
2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Dean, Erin
Area of Concentration
Social Sciences
Abstract
Boca Grande is a small barrier island off the west coast of Florida. Its rich and important history coupled with wealthy donors has made possible the extensive historical archives and Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum, both dedicated to preserving the island’s and its people's history. In this thesis I attempt to fill in the noticeable gap in this preserved history in regards to the black community who grew up and worked on the island throughout the 20th century. This thesis is the product of collecting oral histories with former members of Boca Grande's black community and synthesizing these histories with existing historical documentation in order to provide a more complete historical narrative for the island of Boca Grande. I situate my project within a larger theoretical discussion on the silences and erasures that occur in the creation and preservation of history and the active decisions — disguised as passive — made about what is deemed historical and therefore worthy of documenting and preserving. In addition to engaging in this theoretical discussion, I argue that oral histories can be used as a form of historical activism within a larger narrative.
Recommended Citation
Stokes, Kaylie, "RACE, POWER, AND MEMORY: AN ORAL HISTORY OF GASPARILLA ISLAND'S BLACK COMMUNITY" (2016). Theses & ETDs. 5280.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5280