Embracing the fact that Black History is an integral part of American history, St. Augustine takes center stage with its 450+ year narrative.
To ensure that the rich history of African-descended individuals in the oldest city is easily accessible to everyone, Visit St. Augustine has introduced a brand-new Black History app, placing history at your fingertips. Developed in partnership with Florida's Historic Coast, this app is now available for free on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Developed by Visit St. Augustine and currently accessible for download, the app seamlessly blends historical content with real-life exploration. It incorporates a "What's Nearby" feature utilizing the phone's location services to display nearby historical sites. Rigorous research is conducted through credible sources, including articles and books authored by historians worldwide. Essential research databases tapped into for this endeavor encompass Florida Memory, the Library of Congress, the Civil Rights Library of St. Augustine (curated by Flagler College), and Enslaved.org (maintained by the National Endowment for the Humanities).
The St. Augustine Black History App is organized into four main sections: Events Timeline, Historical People, Historical Places, and Historical Topics. The Events Timeline provides a comprehensive overview of Florida's Historic Coast spanning over 450 years. The Historical People and Places sections feature profiles of individuals and sites significant to Black history in St. Augustine, with each profile including a biography, media gallery, event timeline, and bibliography. The Historical Topics section connects people and places through thematic pages, such as the Civil Rights Movement, offering a condensed exploration of key themes and events.
The app will be enhanced regularly, introducing new content and functionality every quarter. This ongoing evolution ensures the app stays current as history unfolds, offering users a dynamic and layered experience.
