WMNF | Florida History Archives

October 26th, 2020 || African American, Elections, Florida History, News and Public Affairs, Voting Rights.

On 100th anniversary, Ocoee Massacre comes into focus

Nov. 2 marks the 100th anniversary of the Ocoee Massacre, considered our country’s most deadly Election Day. But this little-known tragic moment in Florida’s history has been coming into focus. Dozens of African American residents of Ocoee, a town just outside of Orlando, were murdered and their property destroyed after one of them attempted to… Read more »

Protesters react to Trump's Florida trip: "Get out of Tampa"

August 4th, 2020 || COVID19

New Book by Veteran NYT Reporter Chronicles Some of the Major Events of Civil Rights Movement

November 30th, 2018 || African American

ACORN Founder Wade Rathke Subject of New Film The Organizer Talks About Community Organizing

April 24th, 2018 || African American

Study: South's native talent suffers without better schools

April 10th, 2018 || Education

MidPoint for Thursday, April 5- Tampa political reporter William 'Windy' March

April 5th, 2018 || Elections

Blake High School Students Plan Walkout Tomorrow to Protest Gun Violence

February 22nd, 2018 || American History

New Bio of Legendary Tampa Bay Record Producer and Interview with Former WashPost Moscow Bureau Chief

February 21st, 2018 || Florida History

Towers in the Sand A History of Florida Broadcasting

December 4th, 2017 || corporate tax rate

Play in Tampa about Spanish Civil War-- an Example of the Anti-fascist fight from the 1930's and Meet Two of the People Who A...

August 21st, 2017 || African American

Charlottesville Terror: The Rise of the Fascist Right and Why Were Those Confederate Monuments Built?

August 15th, 2017 || African American

Ryan Torrens Florida Democratic Candidate for Attorney General

July 23rd, 2017 || African American

July 19th, 2017

Dramatic reversal: Hillsborough will move its Confederate monument

The Confederate veterans’ monument in Tampa will be moved after all; Wednesday, after overwhelming public outcry for removing the statue, Hillsborough County Commissioners voted 4 to 2 to move it. It’s a dramatic reversal of their vote from four weeks ago. More than 110 members of the public signed up to speak during what turned… Read more »

Travis Bell, Lena Young Green, Dr. Beverly Ward

June 9th, 2017

Tampa’s Central Avenue: Central to Tampa History, Central to Tampa’s Transportation Future

Will the controversial TBX plan be revived? Central Avenue in Tampa is a storied place and its past, present, and future ties together African American history, police killings, walkable communities, and the future of transportation in the entire Tampa Bay area. A few months ago, residents living in Tampa’s central neighborhoods — Tampa Heights, Ybor… Read more »

May 18th, 2017

MidPoint for Thursday, May 18 – Political strategist Barry Edwards

St. Petersburg backed political analyst Barry Edwards was our guest. The local St. Petersburg Mayoral race was one of many topics we discussed; Donald Trump’s latest issues. Robert Mueller, Darryl Rouson, Mike Huckabee and the Constitutional Revision Committee was also on the agenda.

Former FBI agent Joe Navarro discusses various types of subtle non-verbal communication, including images, colors, location, and perception. photography by kris krüg

April 17th, 2017

FBI Agent and Author Joe Navarro on Radioactivity Wednesday

FBI agent recounts the spy ring that went from West Germany to Tampa Host Rob Lorei interviewed Joe Navarro, a veteran FBI special agent who was able to uncover one of the smartest spies of the Cold War era — a spy with a photographic memory, an Army veteran who spent time here in Tampa,… Read more »

February 18th, 2017

Listen to some of WMNF’s Black History Month

WMNF is in the unique position of being able to drop some history into our airwaves. Thanks to our programmers, volunteers, and specifically Ira Hankin, our PSA & Promo Producer, we have some tasty sound for you about Black History Month, some notable individuals and memories, and a few pieces from Tampa Poet Laureate, James… Read more »

February 2nd, 2017

Paula Dockery joins Radioactivity to talk about the upcoming Florida legislative session

WMNF’s Radioactivity February 2, 2017 Paula Dockery served 16 years in the state legislature from 1996 to 2012 as a Republican representing districts in Polk County. The last ten years she was a member of the Florida Senate. In the past four years she‘s been writing a weekly column about state issues that’s appeared in… Read more »

November 4th, 2016

Historian Charles Dew recounts growing up in St.Pete during Segregation on Radioactivity Thursday

http://sound.wmnf.org/sound/wmnf_161103_110617_radioactivityR1_191.MP3 By Rob Lorei On Radioactivity Thursday our guest was award-winning historian Charles Dew, a professor at Williams College who teaches American History focusing on the South, Slavery, and the Civil War. He spoke about his new book, a memoir of his childhood in St. Petersburg during Segregation, called The Making of a Racist: A Southerner… Read more »

November 3rd, 2016

MidPoint for Thursday, November 3 – Former USFSP political science professor Darryl Paulson

When it comes to reporting on the history of the Republican Party of Florida, and Pinellas County’s importance to its resurgence in the 1950’s, there is no one better than Darryl Paulson, emeritus professor of government at the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg. Paulson has a piece in the upcoming Perspectives section of the… Read more »

September 21st, 2016

Women’s Show – Florida Phosphates and the new National Museum of African American History and Culture 9/22

Have you been following the massive sinkhole – just 30 miles east of Tampa in New Wales? JACLYN LOPEZ, Florida Director, Staff Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity. Jacki thinks Florida may be beginning to wake up to its massive phosphate mining problems. The sinkhole has already caused at least 215 million gallons of contaminated water to… Read more »

July 8th, 2016

How Florida’s Weird History Influences the Rest of the Country

http://sound.wmnf.org/sound/wmnf_160707_110617_radioactivityR1_191.MP3 By Rob Lorei On Radioactivity Thursday, we looked at the weird and wonderful history of the Sunshine State. Our guest Craig Pittman has written a new book titled Oh, Florida: How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country, which chronicles bizarre stories of corrupt officials, notable natives, quirky sex scandals and the origins of famous… Read more »

June 19th, 2016

MidPoint for Thursday, June 16 – David Dayen

Joining us on the program today was journalist David Dayen, author of the new book, Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street’s Great Foreclosure Fraud. David is also a contributing writer to Salon.com and The Intercept, and a weekly columnist for The New Republic and The Fiscal Times. Patti Brigham with the League of… Read more »

March 24th, 2016

Preservationists want to save St. Pete’s “cheese grater” buildings

Preservationists in St. Pete say they’re filing a landmark designation application Thursday to try to save two buildings in downtown; Peter Belmont, vice president of St. Petersburg Preservation, wants to stop the demolition of what are called the “cheese grater” buildings in the 400 block of Central Avenue. He says behind the more recent metal coverings… Read more »

March 23rd, 2016

Women’s Show …Cuba and Immigration to the Forefront

Did you know how big of an economic contribution undocumented immigrants make to this country each year?- Let’s try $11.7 billion. In Florida alone its about $547 million. Their economic contributions are so great that we can no longer do without them. This week we will have Michelle Chen, writer for The Nation and editor… Read more »

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