Black Florida town fights for right to use prime land
N.Y. Nathiri, a third-generation resident of Eatonville and leader of an organization to preserve the Florida community, believes the outcome of the battle for the 100 acres will determine whether it survives.
A Black town in Central Florida is fighting for the right to use prime land they believe is crucial for its survival.
Joe Clark, who eventually became the mayor of Eatonville, helped found the settlement in 1887 once Black people were allowed to purchase plots of land following the Civil War. According to CBS News, at a time when white landowners still refused to sell to African Americans, Clark managed to persuade two white Northerners to make plots available for purchase, thus forming one of the first Black towns to incorporate.
“There was a lot of resistance from the surrounding communities,” said landscape architect Everett Fly, CBS reported, “because if they could incorporate, that meant that they could vote. They could have their own law enforcement. They could manage their own business.”
Today, Eatonville has only one store — a Family Dollar — and a median yearly income of about $27,000. The town lacks a supermarket, gas station, pharmacy and other vital businesses, yet it is not without its history.
The town is home to the Zora Neale Hurston Museum, and before the COVID-19 pandemic, a preservation group led by third-generation resident N.Y. Nathiri hosted an annual festival in honor of the late author, Eatonville’s most famous native daughter, that regularly drew more than 50,000 visitors.
While the town is unique for its connections to Hurston, citizens hope to use a 100-acre parcel to its advantage. The land, located 10 minutes from downtown Orlando and 30 minutes from Disney World, was worth more than $20 million in 2019.
Nathiri believes the outcome of the battle for the territory — formerly a portion of a 300-acre complex that took up about 40 percent of Eatonville — will determine whether the town survives.
“This is sacred land,” said Nathiri, CBS reported. “It’s special for us. It’s who we are. And we’re not going to let them take it away from us, no.”
An unidentified developer is set to purchase the final 100 acres from the Orange County Public School System for $14 million on March 31, a significant discount from the property’s most recently assessed value. Last month, the town council met to decide on amendments to open the door for a new district of more than 350 houses and apartments.
Derek Bruce, an attorney for the developer, claimed the project would “offer shopping, dining, [and] entertainment options for residents and visitors to partake and enjoy.”
However, council members believe the Eatonville development would erase what’s left of actual Eatonville.
The developer may still purchase the property and begin construction — provided it aligns with Eatonville’s plans for the town’s continued existence — and the Orange County Public School System plans to move forward with the sale. Eatonville residents might respond with a lawsuit.
Eatonville resident Julian Johnson believes that Orange County Public Schools should give them the property as a form of restitution.
“This is economic justice that we’re fighting for,” said Johnson, CBS reported. “Land is economic justice. It’s about demanding it back. You’ve done the people wrong, over and over.”
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