Touring Lincolnville: A Celebration of Historic Black Business in St. Augustine

On May 7th, University of North Florida students participating in a class titled “ENC 4436 Writing as Social Action,” presented their final projects at the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center. Community members were invited to walk through the presentations and learn more about the businesses “ENC 4436 Writing as Social Action” was taught by Dr. James Beasley as part of the Digital Humanities Program. The class focused on Black businesses in St. Augustine, where students each researched a business and wrote a creative response.

Students and Dr. Beasley from the ENC 4436 Writing as Social Action class, holding a copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book, and their short stories.

The class combed through city directories, the historic Green book travel publication, and other resources to find local businesses in St. Augustine owned by Black citizens. As a creative response, the students centered these businesses in their stories, crafting scenes exploring various aspects of the businesses and their impact on the community. Businesses included those of local entrepreneur Frank Butler, the Leo C. Chase Funeral Home, and a barber shop owned by Henry Eubanks. These short stories are available to the public to read at the UNF Digital Commons website.

Thank you to those who stopped by the museum to visit and learn about the students’ projects. The students’ research will contribute to an upcoming exhibit on the Green book and other Black businesses in St. Augustine. The exhibit is scheduled to be on display at the LMCC in the fall. Join our mailing list to learn when the exhibit opens!