Punta Gorda has been described as "the little town that unity built". It has been characterized as having a "unique sociology" due to its biracial settlement and development. Built by its founders on the principles of mutual respect and shared prosperity, Punta Gorda's history serves as a model for our country in demonstrating the power of societal unity.
Punta Gorda was founded by both black and white pioneers despite Florida's Jim Crow laws. Together they created a society where all members of their community could thrive. This book is the story of the values that sustained Punta Gorda's early African American pioneers.
The traditional values held by the African American pioneers that settled Punta Gorda enabled the community to survive and thrive. These values that were passed generation to generation from 1885 to the late 1960's, were learned by one of the authors herself as a girl growing up in Punta Gorda, Florida, and passed down to her son, the co-author of this book.
Using old photographs and newspaper articles, the 8 core values learned by the children of Punta Gorda are shared with young readers aged 8 to 13. The values taught in Punta Gorda were typical of those held by the descendants of enslaved people who established communities after the turn of the century. This book provides youth with an opportunity to seek and utilize primary sources to gain a window into the past, while helping them develop their critical thinking and interpersonal skills.