Black history

February is Black History Month, and Florida Black history is rich in its heritage. Join writer Doug Lyons as he follows a fascinating trail of historic markers to tell these poignant stories.

Here are five cool things I was surprised to discover about America’s oldest city — from the story of a fiery pepper to a tasty locally made gin.

They met on South Florida’s beaches apprehensively, seeking flight to a better life in the Bahamas. If they were fortunate, they would haggle a fair price and board a boat bound for Andros Island.

The village near St. Augustine was created in 1738 — 37 years before the first shots were fired in the Revolutionary War. Fort Mose (pronounced “Moh-say”) would become an asylum for runaway slaves from the Carolinas and Georgia who sought refuge from slavery in the British colonies.