Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2025

Degree Type

Capstone - Open Access

Instructor/Advisor

Dr. Gerardo Gauthier-Zayas & Dr. Audrey Falk

Abstract

The significant legacy of Pearl City’s culture and heritage is a testament to African American resilience and has endured the challenges of urban development and gentrification. The importance of preserving its cultural legacy allows historians to teach each generation about its culture, history and traditions. Pearl City's legacy will inspire other communities to celebrate their own cultural histories, fostering a sense of pride for their own past. This project’s focus is to explore Pearl City's historical significance through multidisciplinary means: educational curriculum, workshops, cultural exhibits, oral histories and a mobile guided tour. The expectation is to foster community pride and increase cultural awareness of African American history in Boca Raton. These initiatives are intended to promote pride and unity among Pearl City residents, encourage financial empowerment, as well as benefit others by creating a deeper appreciation of cultural history. The data collected from this project was gained through focus groups and interviews from community members and experts in the field of historic preservation. The results from both interviews and focus groups varied however topic questions focused on the concerns and issues faced by African American communities in South Florida. The importance of this project is to discover strategies and initiative to preserve Pearl City's Culture and heritage.

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