After receiving a record number of grant applications, Florida Humanities is pleased to announce $55,500 in Community Project Grants to 12 Florida organizations in support of vital humanities programming, including many virtual programs.

Community Project Grants provide up to $5,000 in funding to nonprofits and public institutions across Florida to develop and implement humanities-rich public programs that meet the needs of local communities. At their core, these competitive grants seek to preserve Florida’s diverse history and heritage, promote civic engagement and community dialogue, and provide communities the opportunity to reflect on the future of the Sunshine State.

Florida Humanities, the statewide affiliate to the National Endowment for the Humanities, serves to preserve, promote and share the history, literature, culture and personal stories that offer Floridians a better understanding of themselves, their communities and their state.

The newly awarded grants are listed below, alphabetically by sponsoring organization:

Apalachicola Main Street, Inc. (Franklin)
“Moses Roper Exhibit, Online Panel Discussion, and Virtual Tour” – $5,000
Apalachicola Main Street will create an exhibition to chronicle the life and legacy of abolitionist Moses Roper (1815-1891), host an online panel discussion with humanities scholars, and offer a virtual tour of significant London sites that are linked to this Florida history.

Cedar Key Historical Society, Inc. (Levy)
“Cedar Key’s African American History: Creating a New Exhibit for the Cedar Key Historical Museum” – $5,000
The Cedar Key Historical Society will research, create and install new exhibits relating to Cedar Key’s African American history, and host an engaging public lecture with three humanities scholars.

Key West Botanical Garden Society, Inc. (Monroe)
“Key West Botanical Garden Society Speaker Series” – $3,500
Key West Botanical Garden Society will host a “Cuban Chug” presentation by Mr. Ivan Torres, Cuban refugee who came to American on one of the Chugs in the collection, as well as a presentation by NPS maritime archaeologist Joshua Marano.

Miami Shores People of Color, Inc. (Miami-Dade)
“Unity360 Critical Race Film Series” – $5,000
Miami Shores People of Color’s Critical Race Film series will host a series of film viewings and public conversations, utilizing a critical race theory lens which will explore cultural representation and racial injustices apparent and hidden within the films.

Oaktree Community Outreach, Inc. (Manatee)
“Back to Angola History in the Park Series” – $2,000
Oaktree Community Outreach, Inc. will host “Back to Angola History in the Park Series,” particularly a series of historical lectures that pays homage to and disseminates the story of the Black Seminole settlement Angola that takes place in Mineral Park.

Ormond Beach Historical Society (Volusia)
“Ormond Beach Historical Society Speaker Series” – $5,000
Ormond Beach Historical Society will continue their successful Speaker Series for the 2020-21 season by hosting ten speakers from Florida Humanities’ Speakers Directory.

Saint Johns River-to-Sea Loop Alliance (Volusia)
“St Johns River to Sea Nature and History Corridor Phase 2” – $5,000
St Johns River-to-Sea (SJR2C) Loop Alliance will support the mapping, exhibition, promotion, signage, and public education of sites accessible on the SJR2C Loop including African American settlements, Bartram and other early trails.

The Hippodrome Theatre, Inc. (Alachua)
“The Hipp Six Podcast” – $5,000
The Hippodrome will produce “The Hipp Six Podcast” project, which focuses on the founders of the theatre, and plans to create a fully transcribed podcast series about the historic theatre that is of much interest to the local community.

Time Sifters Archeology Society (Sarasota)
“Virtual Guided Tour of the Archaeology of Sarasota/Manatee as a Public Humanities Program” – $5,000
Time Sifters Archaeology Society will work with Dr. Uzi Baram to create an interactive website for a guided virtual tour of archaeology in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Viernes Culturales / Cultural Fridays, Inc. (Miami-Dade)
“Little Havana Virtual Tour and Talk” – $5,000
Viernes Culturales/Cultural Fridays, Inc. will host monthly “Little Havana History” walking tours available on a virtual platform via social media video “field trips” to local sites with historian Dr. Paul George followed by a free Zoom public discussion.

Young Performing Artists (YPAs), Inc. (Sumter)
“The Women’s Suffrage Centennial: How Women of Color helped to win the Vote” – $5,000
Young Performing Artists will host “The Women’s Suffrage Centennial: How women of color helped to win the vote,” a nonpartisan, interactive panel discussion, both celebrating & educating viewers on the 100th vote anniversary.

Your Real Stories, Inc. (Pinellas)
“COVID-19: Stories of Resilience, Race, and a New Reality” – $5,000
Your Real Stories will host COVID-19: Stories of Resilience, Race, and a New Reality, which uses theatrical journalism and oral history practices to record and present the stories from community members affected by the coronavirus crisis, focusing on underrepresented populations.

Want to make an impact in your local community?

Apply for a Community Project Grant!

Learn more at FloridaHumanities.org/grants. Please contact Lindsey Morrison, Grants Coordinator, at [email protected] for more information.

Remaining 2020 Deadline: October 14, 2020 at 12:00 pm (noon)
2021 Community Project Grant Deadlines will be announced soon! Stay Tuned!