Owners of Best Richardson African Diaspora Library Center & Museum
Tampa Trivia
One of the fastest growing areas in the nation, the Tampa-St Petersburg-Clearwater Metro Area has nearly 3.2 million residents.
Over 375,000 African Americans live in the Tampa-St Petersburg-Clearwater Metro Area.
Believe it or not, Tampa and St. Petersburg were the first two cities to have scheduled airline passenger service.
Florida was the nation’s first wine-producing state. Nearby vineyards still produce wines that seem to grow in reputation each year.
“Tampa” is derived from an Indian word meaning “sticks of fire”, which is a direct reference to the lightning so common to the Tampa Bay Metro Area.
Consider that alligators and snakes are common in large parks that have wetlands. So be careful with small children and pets.
Famous Residents
Notable persons born or made their mark in the metro area include:
Angela Bassett – Academy Award-nominated actress
Julian “Cannonball” Adderley – Famous jazz saxophonist
Butterfly McQueen – Famous actress in the 1930s and 40s
Leroy Selmon – First All-NFL on Tampa Bay Buccaneers; They are named a freeway in his honor
Dwight Gooden – Gifted and troubled Major League Baseball pitcher
Bo Diddley – One of the pioneers of 19050s Rock & Roll
General Antonio Maceo – A prime figure in the Cuban-American War and 20th-century settlement of Tampa