Righting the Past

Every community has stories that are remembered and forgotten. The histories we inherit reflect not only what is preserved but whose lives are valued enough to be recorded and shared. In Pensacola, Florida, generations of Black residents helped build, sustain, and transform their community, yet many of their stories remained absent from public memory. Righting the Past brings those lives into view through thirty-three historical obituaries that recover the experiences of Black Pensacolians. From the earliest days of colonization to the civil rights era and beyond, these deeply researched narratives reveal a fuller history of a place and the people who made it.

Bringing together historians, students, community members, and descendants, contributors honor the individuals whose courage, creativity, labor, and leadership shaped Northwest Florida. More than a collection of biographies, this volume demonstrates how communities can uncover overlooked histories, amplify forgotten voices, and create a more inclusive understanding of the past. Rooted in Pensacola but relevant far beyond it, Righting the Past invites readers to reconsider whose stories are told and how recovering those stories can help communities better understand themselves.

Contributors are Teniadé Broughton, Mamie Webb Hixon, Angela Kyle, Lexi Balster, David P. Meron Jr., Liberty Moench, Jess Morgan, Theodore G. W. Morrison, Darlene Mosley, D. C. Reeves, Dianne Robinson, Casimer J. Rosiecki III, C. Scott Satterwhite, Heather A. Stewart, Erin W. Stone, Margo Stringfield, Quint Studer, Mike Thomin, Peter L. Thompson, Brooke Tyree, and John E. Worth.