This project was conducted as part of the CIS 650 (Applying Diversity Leadership Theories and Praxis) class during summer 2023 that involved assessing the web information (and more) provided by the Kingsley Plantation property of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve located in Jacksonville, Florida with a focus on African American populations. On this page, I will be focusing on the Black community that lives within Jacksonville, FL. Our National Park Preserve encompasses multiple histories including Indigenous peoples, African Americans, and colonial history. However, the part of the preserve that discusses African American history extensively is at Kingsley Plantation. The history of Kingsley Plantation is unique due to the fact that the owner, Zephaniah Kingsley, was married to a former enslaved person, Anna Kingsley, as well as two other formerly enslaved women. Besides, the out of the norm story, it is still a site where the institution of slavery was in full swing. I will be analyzing the programming, activities, and resources that are promoted by the National Park Service at Kingsley Plantation in order to understand their approach to diversity and inclusion. As of July 2022, Jacksonville, Fl is made up of 30.7% of Black/African Americans. Many African Americans take their families to Kingsley Plantation to teach them the extent of slavery. It is up to the Park Service to provide an experience where those visitors feel represented in a respectful and knowledgeable manner.
Sources:
U.S. Government . (n.d.). U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts: Duval County, Florida; Jacksonville City ... United States Census Bureau . https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/duvalcountyflorida,jacksonvillecityflorida,US/PST045222