What a 200 years it’s been.
With a celebration held in front of City Hall Monday afternoon, the community gathered to wish a “happy birthday” to the place they call home.
“This is an exciting year of celebration for our city,” Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said while addressing the crowd of about 250. “As we move through Tallahassee, this bicentennial year, I urge each and every one of you to take a second to celebrate our 200 years of excellence and all that’s been accomplished and while we also embrace the next 100 years, as we set the foundation for future generations,”
“Ambitious from the Beginning” is the theme for the year-long Bicentennial observance. The event featured live music from the Raa Middle School Steel Band and Florida A&M jazz band, as well as historians Althemese Barnes and Doug Smith.
Barnes took to the podium to trace the “pivotal times” and strides over the last two centuries. The founder of the Riley House, an African American culture and history museum, noted how during the centennial celebrations in 1924 that six days of celebration were set aside for white people while Black citizens only got a single day.
“So many of the people and voices of the centennial have been silenced. Their work, contributions and legacies live on through other inspirational leaders and people of skill and courage,” said Barnes, a 6th generation Tallahasseean.
“Much has changed. All for the better,” she added while “proclaiming the beauty and richness of Tallahassee 200 years later.”
Once all speakers were finished, the bands got their chance to play as attendees socialized. The event was attended by at least three county commissioners, Rick Minor, Carolyn Cummings and Christian Caban.
All city commissioners joined the celebration except Jeremy Matlow, who has been highly critical of City Hall leadership and his colleagues in the majority voting bloc. His aide Ryan Ray didn’t offer a reason for why Matlow didn’t attend, other than saying he chose not to.
For those that did, there was plenty of punch and cake for the crowd, as they got to pick between chocolate, vanilla, and key lime pound cake.
Read more about the bicentennial and capital city history at tallahassee.com/tlh200