MIHS Presents Florida Humanities Florida Talks Series

Marco Island Historical Society (MIHS) continues their engaging Florida Talks series on the history and people of Florida with both in-person and virtual programs. Presented by MIHS in partnership with Florida Humanities, Florida Talks is one of Florida Humanities’ longest-running public programs. It offers non-profit organizations across the state an accessible way to host engaging speakers who present Florida’s history, heritage and culture through historical and contemporary lenses.

“As one of our long-standing public programs, Florida Talks shares history, heritage, and culture with communities large and small across the state. We hope attendees walk away with new perspectives, knowledge, and are energized to continue learning about our unique state,” says April Myerscough, Florida Humanities Public Programs Coordinator.

September 21, 2023, 2 PM— Virtual Talk: The Little Town that Unity Built by Dr. Martha Bireda

Punta Gorda has been described as a “unique sociology” because of its biracial settlement and development. In this presentation, Queen Andrews, an African American pioneer describes the five factors that made Punta Gorda a model for interracial unity in the Jim Crow era of the early 1960s. Dr. Martha Bireda is the director of the Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture of Charlotte County.

October 3, 2023, 2 PM — Virtual Talk: Picture Paradise: From John James Audubon to the Florida Highwayman by Dr. Keri Watson

The Florida landscape has provided aesthetic inspiration to artists for centuries. Titian Ramsay Peale and John James Audubon came in search of native flora and fauna, followed by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Martin Johnson Heade, George Inness, Winslow Homer and Henry Ossawa Tanner, who were lured by its natural beauty and warm climate. This presentation offers a succinct and engaging history of Florida’s landscape painters. Dr. Keri Watson is Assistant Director of the School of Visual Arts and Design and Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Central Florida.

November 28, 2023, 2 PM — Virtual Talk: Florida and the Untold Story of the Cuban MissileCrisis by Michael Tougias

In this presentation based on the book Above and Beyond, New York Times bestselling author Michael Tougias chronicles the 13 harrowing days of the Cuban Missile Crisis and outlines the steps President John F. Kennedy took to reach a decision on a course of action. Special emphasis is given to the heroes of the crisis: the U-2 pilots that flew from Orlando to Cuba to secure proof of nuclear missiles. Michael Tougias is author and co-author of 30 books for adults and nine for young adults.

January 11, 2024, 2 PM — In-person presentation at Rose History Auditorium: War in Paradise: World War II in Florida by Eliot Kleinberg

In the first few weeks after Pearl Harbor pulled Americans into a two-front war, Germany’s U-Boats worked with immunity. Off Florida alone, they sank 24 ships. Some of Florida’s very features that attracted tourists made it a logical place for soldiers as well. The state, a strategic asset for its geography and climate, became an armed camp. Hotels turned into barracks, and hospitals, bases and airfields increased from eight to 172 by 1943. The sleepy southern state became one of the nation’s hotspots, and Florida would never be the same. Eliot Kleinberg spent more than four decades as a reporter, including more than 33 years at The Palm Beach Post. In addition to covering local news, he wrote extensively about Florida and its history. Free to MIHS members, complimentary to active military and veterans, and $10 for non-members.

February 28, 2024, 2 PM — Virtual Talk: Fabulous Fictional Florida by Caren Neile

Douglas. Rawlings. Hurston. Hemingway. These are not simply the names of iconic authors; they are the names of iconic Florida authors. This lively program invites the audience to listen to interpretive readings of passages from great Florida books, learn the life stories of their creators, and come to love Florida literature through a lively analysis of what makes these stories come to life. Caren S. Neile, Ph.D., M.F.A. has taught storytelling at Florida Atlantic University for 20 years. A performing storyteller, she has worked in 10 states and six countries, including as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Vienna and Jerusalem.

March 14, 2024, 2 PM — Virtual Talk: Florida Women, Advice & Social Change by Kimberly Voss, Ph.D.

Newspaper advice columns started as lovelorn columns during Yellow Journalism as a way of showing that newspapers had a heart. These columns typically ran in the women’s section of metropolitan newspapers, many in Florida, and included a mixture of content, from traditional to progressive. Learn how these columns affected Floridian women’s lives and relationships in the 1950s and 1960s in this presentation. Kimberly Voss, Ph.D., is a professor of journalism at the University of Central Florida. Her research focuses on historical analysis of women journalists’ careers, women’s political influence, and the definition of women’s news in the post-World War II years.

Virtual Talk presentations are free. The January 11, 2024, in-person talk is free to MIHS members, complimentary to active military and veterans, and $10 for non-members. Visit themihs.org or call 239-389-6447 for reservations for virtual and in-person talks.