Florida Talks at Starkey Ranch Theatre: Florida’s Turbulent Decade

Few soothsayers could have predicted the extraordinary fury that unfolded during 2000-2010. Consider the roll call of events that whiplashed Florida: Y2K, the Elián affair, the 2000 election, 9/11, 2004 and the year of four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, an extraordinary building boom followed by an epic recession and real estate crash, foreclosure crisis, and the cavalcade of fascinating personalities: Charlie Crist, Alex Sink, Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, and many, many more. This presentation includes an examination of the decade and the people who shaped its chaos.

Gary R. Mormino is the Frank E. Duckwall professor emeritus in history at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He continues to teach a class in Modern Florida and World War II. Presently, he is the scholar in residence for Florida Humanities. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. His most recent title Dreams in a New Century was published by the University Press of Florida in May 2022.

Seating is first come, first served. Registration is not required to attend.

This Florida Talks program is a partnership between Florida Humanities and the Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center. Funding for this program was provided by Florida Humanities and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the aforementioned entities.