Special Lecture: Newtown Alive Conversations presented by Vickie Oldham

Join us for a conversation with Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition president Vickie Oldham and a few very special guests. The group will share stories and insights about the gardeners and household staff who worked on the grounds of what is today Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus before it opened to the public in 1975.

Vickie Oldham enjoys good storytelling and is foremost a journalist. Presently, Oldham is spearheading a groundbreaking historic preservation project called “Newtown Alive,” which began as an effort to trace the 100-year history of the African American community of Newtown; but has quickly expanded into a cultural heritage tourism initiative that is causing residents and visitors to take a second look at the neighborhood through a different lens.  Resources completed through “Newtown Alive” include a book, podcasts, historic markers, and very popular trolley tours.