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Special Lecture Explores Race and Freedom in Early Florida
May 8 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
The 2025 St. Augustine History Festival, set for May 7–11, invites visitors and residents to explore the rich, complex history of America’s oldest city. Organized by the University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc. and the Lastinger Family Foundation, the festival features more than 30 free events at historic sites and cultural venues across the city.
As part of this year’s celebration, the Diocese of St. Augustine’s Archives and Records Management Office will sponsor a special lecture, “Domingo de Jesús: A Free Life in a Society of Slavery,” presented by Dr. Trevor Bryant, assistant professor of history and director of public history at Flagler College. Dr. Bryant specializes in colonial Atlantic history, with a focus on Colonial Latin America, the Caribbean and the history of Atlantic slavery. His research sheds new light on the experiences of free Black individuals in Spanish Florida, offering a deeper understanding of race, identity, and freedom during the First Spanish Period.
As part of this year’s celebration, the Diocese of St. Augustine’s Archives and Records Management Office will sponsor a special lecture, “Domingo de Jesús: A Free Life in a Society of Slavery,” presented by Dr. Trevor Bryant, assistant professor of history and director of public history at Flagler College. Dr. Bryant specializes in colonial Atlantic history, with a focus on Colonial Latin America, the Caribbean and the history of Atlantic slavery. His research sheds new light on the experiences of free Black individuals in Spanish Florida, offering a deeper understanding of race, identity, and freedom during the First Spanish Period.
The lecture will take place Thursday, May 8, at 5:30 p.m. in the Father López Meeting Room at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios, 101 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine. Light refreshments will be served starting at 5:00 p.m.
Festival events throughout the week include expert panels, historical reenactments, archaeological tours, and special presentations that highlight St. Augustine’s layered history, including Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in what is now the United States.
Admission is free, but seating for Dr. Bryant’s lecture is limited. To reserve a spot, visit DomingodeJesus.eventbrite.com. For more information, email Katy Lockard, diocesan archivist, at klockard@dosafl.com. To view the full festival schedule, visit staugustinehistoryfestival.com.
