FHS Oral History Project

The Florida Historical Society Oral History Project is an effort to continue diversifying the archival collections at our Library of Florida History by creating a digital and physical archive of oral histories, focusing on diverse and typically underserved communities in our state. These interviews preserve personal recollections, experiences, and perspectives on past events. These interviews capture the voices and memories of individuals who lived through significant historical periods, contributing to a richer understanding of the past.


FHS Oral History Project – Adriana Collado

FHS Oral History Project – Adriana Collado   Click for full page.

Adriana Collado was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1966. Seven years removed from the start of the Cuban Revolution, Adriana recounted her upbringing in a society transitioning from a capitalistic free model to a communist oriented world. She emphasized how the state forced children to prioritize the leader and follow politics more than anything, including...

Adriana Collado, oral history

FHS Oral History Project – Thamara Bejarano

FHS Oral History Project – Thamara Bejarano   Click for full page.

Thamara Bejarano was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1978. A daughter of two journalists, Thamara recalled her experience growing up in Caracas, especially in the 1990s. She explained in detail the 1998 election, in which Hugo Chavez gained power, leading to the kleptocracy that continues to plague the nation today. Given that Thamara and her parents...

Thamara Bejarano, oral history

FHS Oral History Project – Alex Erdmann

FHS Oral History Project – Alex Erdmann   Click for full page.

Alex Erdmann was born on August 26th, 1969, in Thuringia, East Germany. Alex recollected his experience growing up in East Germany, from the Soviet influence to the difficulty of seeing family that lived across the Berlin Wall in West Germany. Alex joined the East German military to professionalize as a chef, which remained one of the few ways to...

Alex Erdmann, oral history

FHS Oral History Project – Edward H. Greene

FHS Oral History Project – Edward H. Greene   Click for full page.

Edward H. Greene was born in Winter Park, Florida, in 1948. He grew up in several communities across Orlando in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in Eatonville. He recalled his adolescent experience in Eatonville, particularly attending Hungerford High School. Edward’s family intersects deeply with Eatonville’s history, as his...

Edward H. Greene, oral history

FHS Oral History Project – Drasa Brown

FHS Oral History Project – Drasa Brown   Click for full page.

Drasa C. Brown was born in Orlando, Florida, on March 30, 1976. He remembered growing up in Orlando during the 1980s and early 1990s, particularly how central Christianity proved for his family and attending Edgewater High School. Drasa also shared his incarceration experience and how transformative it remains for him. He...

Drasa Brown, oral history

FHS Oral History Project – Maria Mercedes

FHS Oral History Project – Maria Mercedes   Click for full page.

Maria de las Mercedes Nunez-Salgado was born on June 12, 1972, and grew up in Madrid, Spain. In addition to recounting her time living in Spain and Europe more broadly, Maria mainly discussed her immigrant experience in the United States. Maria spent most of her time in Philadelphia, as she recently (2020) moved to Orlando for work reasons. Maria...

Oral History for Maria Mercedes

FHS Oral History Project – Aquanza Cadogan

FHS Oral History Project – Aquanza Cadogan   Click for full page.

Aquanza Cadogan was born on September 20, 1981, in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. At around eight years old, Aquanza and his family moved to Pine Hills, Florida. From East Flatbush, where many West Indian cultures resided (Aquanza’s parents are originally from Georgetown, Guyana—located in South America), Aquanza...

Aquanza Cadogan, oral history

FHS Oral History Project – Reginald Finlayson

FHS Oral History Project – Reginald Finlayson   Click for full page.

Reginald (Reggie) Finlayson was born on May 12, 1954, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father’s family history, however, has deep connections to Florida, particularly his grandfather, who built one of the oldest remaining Black churches in Miami—the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Coconut Grove. Reggie recollected stories about his...

Reginald Finlayson, oral history

FHS Oral History Project — Melissa Jest

FHS Oral History Project — Melissa Jest   Click for full page.

Melissa Jest was born on September 20, 1964, in Savannah, Georgia, but lived her childhood in Harlem, New York. She recounted her mixed experience growing up in Harlem, remembering how uplifting it felt being around a historically significant Black enclave, but also the pain of seeing her mother struggling to support two young children as a single...

Melissa Jest, oral history

FHS Oral History Project – Desmond Reid

FHS Oral History Project – Desmond Reid   Click for full page.

Desmond A. Reid was born in 1945 and spent the first twenty years of his life in Jamaica. He recounted his formative years in Jamaica, particularly his mother’s influence. He immigrated to the New York City in 1965, printing and selling books primarily on Black literature and heritage. Desmond moved to Orlando in 2009, in which he shifted his...

Desmond Reid, oral history

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