Tallahassee's Black history is the focus of a new garden project at the Lemoyne Center for the Visual arts. The African-American Tribute Garden was dedicated October 1st. Dozens of people, including the friends and families of many of those whose stories are represented by the artwork in the garden, were on hand. Some of them rose to share their personal history.
The late Keith Neyland was one of the very first Black students to attend Florida High. At first, he was subjected to racial taunts and slurs. But his daughter, Lindsey Neyland, says her dad soon won the admiration of his classmates.
"At the end of his sophomore year, his peers selected him for the key club, recognizing him as a leader. His writing talent and sense of humor earned him a weekly column in the student newspaper cheekily title, 'K.K.K.-Keith's Kandid Komments.'"
That's just part of the local Black history now reflected in Lemoyne's African-American Tribute Garden. Lemoyne Board Chair Dan Taylor led Thursday's dedication crowd in a toast.
"May their voices continue to be heard, their courage remembered, and their legacy always have a home here at Lemoyne. To the African-American Tribute Garden and to the remarkable lives it honors!"
Many of those on hand at Thursday's dedication ceremony have roots in the Capital City going back to the time before the civil rights era.
