TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Organizers are working right now to bring you this year's Soul of Southside, an annual festival celebrating the Tallahassee area's rich history and culture.
Starting next week, participants can look forward to economically focused conversations and presentations aimed toward preserving the legacy of the community.
"We're going to give a data based presentation on where Tallahassee Southside has been prior to 1990, where it is right now, and where it is that we have to go," explained event organizer Christic Henry. "Lots of things will be discovered in terms of economic value of real estate, economic value of commercial business opportunities, all of those things that are essential components for neighborhood and community preservation."
Attendees can look forward to hearing from reknown national speakers like Mary McGee from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as respected local historians and professors like Dr. Amina Shakur and Dr. Tiffany Packer. Soul of Southside will also present unique research from local student storytellers. All of this, organizers say, will help some re-affim what they already know about Southside, and help others shift their perspectives and pitch in.
"We want this to be somewhere where people can come and they can experience Southside Tallahassee beyond the negativity ... that maybe even some locals may have about the area, and see its potential, see its promise, but also see how they can get involved."
This year, Soul of Southside takes a 365 day approach to events to respect Emancipation Day events on May 20th.
This year's Evening of Rememberance will be next Tuesday at 5:30pm at Parkview at Cascades. The Story Telling Society Showcase is already at capacity, but will be live-streamed on the Soul of Southside Facebook Page. And the annual fish fry and community entertainment will take place during Juneteenth Weekend.
