Showing 117 results

Location: AC.2.B.1.4.4

Location: AC.3.A.3.1.4 - AC.3.A.3.2.2

Location: AC.3.A.1.3.6 - AC.3.A.1.4.1

Location: AC.7.B.1.2.2 - AC.7.B.1.2.3

The Afro-American Life Insurance Company was a pioneering African American–owned business founded in 1901 in Jacksonville, Florida, by Abraham Lincoln Lewis and a group of associates. Established during a time of widespread racial discrimination and segregation in the United States, the company emerged in response to the limited access Black Americans had to essential financial services. Many mainstream insurance companies either denied coverage to Black individuals or offered policies at unaffordable rates, leaving Black communities without the financial protection that life insurance could provide.

In addition to offering life insurance policies, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company played a vital role as a financial institution within the African American community. It provided opportunities for economic stability through services such as mortgages and financial planning, helping to build wealth and security for families who were otherwise excluded from traditional banking systems. The company’s influence extended beyond finance; it was instrumental in the development of American Beach, a recreational resort established in 1935 as a safe and welcoming destination for Black Americans during the era of segregation.

Throughout the early and mid-20th century, the Afro-American Life Insurance Company stood as a symbol of Black entrepreneurship, resilience, and self-sufficiency. However, increasing competition from larger insurance companies in the latter half of the 20th century contributed to its eventual closure in 1990. Despite this, the company’s legacy endures as a significant example of African American economic empowerment and community development. The historic building that once housed the company at 101 East Union Street in Jacksonville has since been renovated and repurposed, continuing to serve the community in new ways. https://unfdhi.org/earthawhite/items/show/49

Location: AC.2.B.2.3.7

Location: AC.1.B.2.1.1 - AC.1.B.2.1.6
Asa Philip Randolph (1889–1979) was a pioneering labor leader and civil rights activist who played a major role in advancing equality for African Americans. Born in Florida, he organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925, the first successful Black-led labor union, and became a leading voice for workers’ rights and racial justice.
Randolph helped pressure the federal government to end discrimination in defense industries during World War II and was a key organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. His lifelong commitment to nonviolent protest, labor rights, and civil rights made him one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century.

Location: AC.3.B.1.1.5 - AC.3.B.1.2.1
The A. P. Turner collection is a two-box collection that documents the life of Allen P. Turner, a reverend of the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church and a Morehouse College graduate who wrote and directed dramatic plays at Albany State College and Florida A&M University.
The items within this collection date from 1930 to 1972, and are concentrated between 1940 and 1968. This collection includes academic and business papers, playscripts, letters, and other printed materials that provide valuable insight into Turner’s professional and personal life. His involvement in the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance of Tallahassee and Vicinity, the Young Men’s Christian Association, and the Florida Inter-Scholastic Speech and Drama Association gives this collection a strong representation of his religious, scholarly, and artistic leadership. Although the collection offers a strong foundation for understanding Turner’s leadership within religious and scholarly organizations, many items are untitled and undated, limiting the ability to fully contextualize specific individuals, events, and materials. Overall, the A. P. Turner collection provides valuable documentation of Turner’s life and how his social status as a reverend, playwright, and director contributed to his community.