Lion King Kume and Kalin Thomas at Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World; (c) Soul Of America

Orlando

Visitors have come to the nearby Kennedy Space Center since the early 1950s to watch rocket ships take off over the Atlantic coast. Then fate played a hand through the vision of Walt Disney who wanted his next theme park to be an order of magnitude larger than Disneyland in Southern California. Today, Orlando is blossoming into a day-night destination with more restaurants, nightlife, trendy shopping, modern architecture, art centers, and sports venues opening or upgrading each year. Black culture, though modest in scale, is bolstered by the historic black town and festival location in nearby Eatonville.

History
The African-American presence in the Orlando region began when the Spanish controlled Central and North Florida from the 18th through early 19th century. Many people of African descent … More‎

Cultural Sites
Visitors are often surprised that black culture has been on the scene for decades. Begin with Well’s Built Museum of African American History, then make a short drive to Eatonville, home of Zora Neale Hurston … More

Restaurants and Nightclubs
Orlando has attracted a number of folks from West India and it shows in the selection of Caribbean restaurants coupled with Soul Food eateries … More

Family Attractions
When Walt Disney surveyed this area in the 1960s, none guessed that it would become a magnet for three globally recognized theme parks and a host of other family attractions as well … More

General Attractions
Universal CityWalk, Disney Springs, Orange County Regional History Center, Leu Gardens, Holy Land Experience, Orlando Premium Outlets, world class golf courses and … More

Heritage Sites
It would be a sin to speak of historic sites and places of worship without visiting the historically black district with legacy churches west of Downtown and Eatonville a few miles north of Orlando … More

Shops and Galleries
There’s only a handful of soulful shops around, so make the most by reviewing these selections. Your patronage will help them grow … More

Eatonville & Zora Neale Hurston
As a writer, folklorist, and anthropologist, Zora Neal Hurston is known as the most significant collector and interpreter of Southern African-American culture from Eatonville … More‎

The Arts
Orlando Museum of Art, Morse Museum of American Art, Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Mad Cow Theater, Shakespeare Theater and Eola Park Bandshell anchor the art scene in this bustling town … More

Trivia, Radio Stations and Famous Residents
The city is known for theme parks, resorts, proximity to Kennedy Space Center. In black circles, its known for nearby Eatonville and Zora Neale Hurston Festival … More