Saturday, February 29, 2020

Boca Raton's Black Pearl: African American Travel Club from Miami tours Historic Black Neighborhood



The Retiree, Seniors and Friends marked their tenth annual Black History Month Narrated Bus Tours.  The Thursday, February 20, 2020 trip for the African American travel club featured Pearl City in Boca Raton, Florida.  The program kicked-off with hot breakfast hosted at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Pearl City.   Other sites on the trip were Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Boca Raton Museum of Art

The historic black neighborhood Pearl City is an African American community platted in 1915 and is the oldest of all neighborhoods in Boca Raton.  Pearl City was settled by the black farm workers in the area.  Around 1908 Japanese colonists arrived in Boca Raton to farm pineapples on land purchased from railroad magnate Henry Flagler.  The Japanese settlement was named The Yamato Colony which is the current location of Florida Atlantic University.  The Japanese hired black Bahamians and African Americans as field hands, plus some black people sharecropped in the Yamato Colony. Black Bahamians and African Americans also worked on the Butts Farm, Chesebro Farm and Clint Moore Farm in Boca Raton.  These workers were the Pearl City settlers.


Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church established in 1918 in the historic black neighborhood of Pearl City in Boca Raton, Florida.  For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.

The two oldest churches in Boca Raton were both established in Pearl City in 1918 by those early black settlers.  Macedonia AME (African Methodist Episcopal) was the first one of those two that were started in year 1918 and then about two months later Ebenezer Baptist Church was established. Both churches were built on land donated by George Ashley Long, one of Henry Flagler’s land agent.  The donation of the land was the result of efforts by Pearl City African American early settler Alex Hughes who purchased a homesite lot from George Long and then convinced George Long to donate land for the churches.  In addition to Long’s donation of land to the churches, he put forth the necessary support for a building that was formerly a school for white children  to be moved to Pearl City and reopened as the Roadman Elementary School for black children in 1923. 

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.




For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.

City of Boca Raton Council members Monica Mayotte and Andrea Levine O'Rourke greeted the Retirees, Seniors and Friends during their trip to historic Pearl City in Boca Raton, Florida. 

City of Boca Raton Councilwoman Monica Mayotte welcomes Retirees, Seniors and Friends, an African American travel club from Miami, Florida

City of Boca Raton Councilwoman Andrea Levine O'Rourke welcomes Retirees, Seniors and Friends, an African American travel club from Miami, Florida. 

City of Boca Raton Council members Monica Mayotte and Andrea Levine O'Rourke welcomes Retirees, Seniors and Friends, an African American travel club from Miami, Florida








For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Pearl City in Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Pearl City in Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church




For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits sPearl City in Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church






Deacon Greg Russ with Mrs. Barbara Johnson. For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

Tour organizer Lori J. Durante with Mrs. Lois Martin who is a descendant of early pioneers to Boca Raton, Florida.  For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church

Descendants of founding families of Pearl City: Deacon Dolphus, Mrs. Lois Martin and Mrs. Marie Hester.  For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.



 For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida. Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.





For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church.

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.
For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.


Susan Gillis of the Boca Raton Historic Society made a presentation about the history of the Pearl City neighborhood in Boca Raton, Florida.

Susan Gillis of the Boca Raton Historical Society.  For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church.




Descendants of founding families of Pearl City in Boca Raton, Florida.  For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.







For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.

For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.

The DISC members.  For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.

Offering collected.  For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.


Offerings raised. For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  Macedonia AME Church.

Members of DISC welcomed visitors to Pearl City.  For Black History Month 2020, the African American travel club Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami visits Boca Raton, Florida.  

The Black History Month for the Retirees, Seniors and Friends traveled to the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Downtown Boca Raton, Florida.

For Black History Month, the Retirees, Seniors and Friends, which is an African American travel from from Miami, Florida, visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art and historic black neighborhood Pearl City. 

Boca Raton Council woman Andrea Levine O'Rourke welcome's the Retirees, Seniors and Friends which is an African American travel from from Miami, Florida.  Their tour visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art and historic Pearl City. 


Tree of Knowledge Sculpture by  Maren Hassinger. For Black History Month, the Retirees, Seniors and Friends, which is an African American travel from from Miami, Florida, visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art and historic black neighborhood Pearl City. 

Tree of Knowledge Sculpture by  Maren Hassinger.  For Black History Month, the Retirees, Seniors and Friends, which is an African American travel from from Miami, Florida, visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art and historic black neighborhood Pearl City. 

Tree of Knowledge Sculpture by  Maren Hassinger.  For Black History Month, the Retirees, Seniors and Friends, which is an African American travel from from Miami, Florida, visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art and historic black neighborhood Pearl City. 

For Black History Month, the Retirees, Seniors and Friends, which is an African American travel from from Miami, Florida, visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art and historic black neighborhood Pearl City. 

For Black History Month, the Retirees, Seniors and Friends, which is an African American travel from from Miami, Florida, visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art and historic black neighborhood Pearl City. 

For Black History Month, the Retirees, Seniors and Friends, which is an African American travel from from Miami, Florida, visited the Boca Raton Museum of Art and historic black neighborhood Pearl City. 

The Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami, Florida enjoyed lunch in Pearl City Boca Raton at Troy's Barbecue for their Black History Month Narrated Bus Tour.

The Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami, Florida enjoyed lunch in Pearl City Boca Raton at Troy's Barbecue for their Black History Month Narrated Bus Tour. 

The Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami, Florida enjoyed lunch in Pearl City Boca Raton at Troy's Barbecue for their Black History Month Narrated Bus Tour. 


The Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami, Florida enjoyed lunch in Pearl City Boca Raton at Troy's Barbecue for their Black History Month Narrated Bus Tour. 

The Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami, Florida enjoyed lunch in Pearl City Boca Raton at Troy's Barbecue for their Black History Month Narrated Bus Tour. 

The Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami, Florida enjoyed lunch in Pearl City Boca Raton at Troy's Barbecue for their Black History Month Narrated Bus Tour. 

The Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami, Florida enjoyed lunch in Pearl City Boca Raton at Troy's Barbecue for their Black History Month Narrated Bus Tour. 

The Retirees, Seniors and Friends from Miami, Florida enjoyed lunch in Pearl City Boca Raton at Troy's Barbecue for their Black History Month Narrated Bus Tour. 

Welcome letters were received from Congressman Ted Deutch and Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer.

Previous Black History Narrated Bus Tours for the travel club have journeyed to Delray Beach, Florida; Lake Worth, Florida; Mims, Florida; Deerfield Beach, Sanford, Florida; Port St. Lucie, Florida; Belle Glade, Florida; Riviera Beach, Florida; and Boynton Beach, Florida.

The Narrated Bus Tours of Historic Palm Beach County were established in year 2004 featuring a range of cities in Florida and their history and art. The tours are a program on the non-profit Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History. For more information, call 561-638-8277 or email info@mlfhmuseum.org. Visit http://mlfhmuseum.org/bustoursforgroups.html