The state of Florida has recently mandated a law requiring that public schools and state institutions teach the history of the Ocoee Massacre. What happened in Ocoee, Florida in 1920? How do the tragic events that transpired in Orange County intersect with the broader histories of the African American freedom struggle as well as today’s efforts at historical truth and reconciliation in the age of Black Lives Matter? Paul Ortiz will draw from his book Emancipation Betrayed as well as more than 20 years of involvement in local history initiatives in Ocoee.

Paul Ortiz is an American historian and professor of history at the University of Florida. He is also the Director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program and has published numerous works, including Jim Crow: African Americans Tell About Life in the Jim Crow South and Emancipation Betrayed.

This event is funded by the Florida Humanities Florida Talks: At Home! program.