>>MELANIE LAWSON: THIS IS THE LAST WEEKEND OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA HAS
A RICH HISTORY OF BLACK
CULTURE AND EXPERIENCES THAT
WE CAN ALL VISIT FIRSTHAND.
NOW, PART OF THAT HISTORY IS
THE KINGSLEY PLANTATION THIS
WEEK, DESCENDANTS OF THE
ORIGINAL ENSLAVED PEOPLE WHO
WORKED ON THAT LAND HOLD THE
ANNUAL KINGSLEY HERITAGE
CELEBRATION. SO JOINING US
THIS MORNING TO TALK MORE
ABOUT THIS IS PARK RANGER
EMILY PALMER. GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> WE APPRECIATE APPRECIATE
YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US. WE
WANT TO LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT
THIS. WE KNOW THE ORIGINAL
OWNERS OF THIS LAND WHERE ANNA
FUN. KINGSLEY. SO IN A STORY
ITSELF IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF
HISTORY. LET’S TALK ABOUT HER
JOURNEY A LITTLE BIT.
>> WELL, AND I WAS BORN ON
TIME YOU CAN SO SHE WAS A FREE
WOMAN IN AFRICA. SHE WAS
MEMBER OF A ROYAL FAMILY. WE
HAVE AN ARTIST’S RENDITION OF
HER PORTRAIT BEHIND ME. SHE
WAS BORN INTO THE UPPER
ECHELON OF SOCIETY. BUT THAT
DIDN’T PROTECT HER WHEN SLAVE
RAIDERS CAME AND SHE WAS
CAPTURED. SO WHAT INTO SLAVERY
AND BROUGHT TO A TUBE AND
EVENTUALLY SPANISH, FLORIDA
WHEN SHE WAS JUST A LITTLE
GIRL PURCHASED BY MY KINGSLEY.
HE EVENTUALLY FREEZE HER BUT
NOT UNTIL AFTER SHE’S HAD
SEVERAL OF HIS CHILDREN. SO
SHE BECOMES KNOWN AS AND
KINGSLEY HERE. AND THEIR
MARRIAGES POSSIBLE AND LEGAL
BECAUSE THIS IS A SPANISH
TERRITORY AT THAT TIME. SO
AMONG OUR DESCENDANTS, WE HAVE
I’M REALLY WIDE VARIETY OF
PEOPLE AND THEY COME FROM
EVERY BRANCH OF LIKE TODAY.
BUT THEY THEY CAME TOGETHER AT
THIS SITE ABOUT. OVER 20 YEARS
AT THE IN 1998, TO START SEE
HER TO CELEBRATION.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: THAT IS
INCREDIBLE. AND WHAT SEPARATES
KINGSLEY APART FROM OTHER
PLANTATIONS. HOW IS HISTORY
STILL PRESERVED?
>> SO KINGSLEY PLANTATION HAS
A LOT OF THINGS THAT MAKES IT
IN PHASING LEE. INTERESTING,
UNIQUE THAT THAT SPANISH
HISTORY INFLUENCE. THE STORY
OF AN ENDS UP. MY KINGSLEY
JUST ISN’T REALLY POSSIBLE.
AND A LOT OF OTHER SITES, BUT
WE ARE ALSO THE BIRTHPLACE OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY.
WE ARE A SITE WITH THE LARGEST
NUMBER OF STANDING TABBY WE
THE CABINS OF THE ENSLAVED
PEOPLE AT OUR SITE. STILL
STANDING WHERE YOU CAN WALK
THROUGH AND IMAGINE THE LIVES
OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT
FAMILIES, NOT JUST THE
KINGSLEY’S, BUT YOU CAN WALK
THROUGH EACH HOME AND IMAGINE
WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE FOR THE
PEOPLE. THE WERE FORCED TO
CALL THIS PLACE HOME FOR A
TIME.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: AND IF
PEOPLE WANT TO COMMENT AND
VISIT, HOW CAN THEY GO ABOUT
DOING THAT? AND WHAT’S THE
BIGGEST TAKEAWAY? YOU’LL THINK
THE LEARN FROM VISITING
KINGSLEY PLANTATION.
>> SO WE’RE OPEN AS AN AS
JACKSONVILLE’S NATIONAL PARK.
WE ARE PART OF A QUANT
PRESERVE AND PEOPLE CAN COME
OUT TO US FOR FREE YEAR-ROUND.
BUT THIS TIME OF YEAR SPECIAL
FOR US. SO WE HOLD THE EVENTS
TODAY IN PARTICULAR FROM 10
TILL 3 WILL HAVE A LIVING
HISTORY GOING ON. WE
DESCENDANTS FROM THE COSMOS
AREA COMING OUT TO TALK ABOUT
DO A FISHING TECHNIQUES. WE
HAVE COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS.
WE HAVE BUTTER CHURNING,
INDIGO DEMONSTRATIONS, ALL
SORTS OF THINGS THAT KIND OF
PAY HOMAGE TO THE SKILLS,
CRAFTS AND PERSEVERANCE OF THE
ENSLAVED AT THIS WE ALSO TRY
MAKE IT INTERACTIVE SO KIDS
CAN LEARN THROUGH DOING WE ARE
ALWAYS A PRETTY SIGHT, BUT
ESPECIALLY TODAY ON AN EVENT,
IT’S IT’S A GREAT TIME. BUT
WE’RE HERE ALL THE TIME. 5
DAYS A WEEK FOR YOU TO COME
OUT AND VISIT. WE HAVE AUDIO
TOURS, A SPECIAL MONTHLY
RANGER KIND OF PROGRAMS. WE
REALLY TRY AND KEEP THIS
HISTORY, I’M TOLD AND SHARED
FOR GENERATIONS IS OUR HOPE.
>> WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
EMILY WAS A PLEASURE HAVING
YOU ON THIS MORNING.