Martin County Black Heritage Initiatives

05/19/2025

04/29/2025

Join us on May 17th at New Monrovia Park for the Martin County Black Heritage Initiative’s Emancipation Day Celebration — honoring freedom, legacy, and education!

We’re celebrating the Salerno Colored School's official designation as a Florida Historic Marker — a rare, intact piece of local Black history that stood as a pillar of education and pride in Martin County.

Emancipation Day in Florida marks May 20, 1865, when word of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached enslaved people in our state — two years after it was issued. It’s a powerful reminder that freedom was fought for, delayed, and finally declared.

Come be a part of preserving and uplifting this essential story.
Music, community, and history — you don’t want to miss this.

03/09/2025

The Murray Family at the unveiling of the picture Mr. Charles Murray at the Murray Middle School 60th anniversary.

08/16/2024

The Martin County Black Heritage Initiatives would like to announce that the The One Room School House in Port Salerno ( New Monrovia)
has been approved from the State of Florida for a Historical Marker. It will take 6-9 months for the Marker to be made. Stay tune for the dedication. Congratulations and lots of hard work.

03/14/2024

The Salerno Colored School, a Civil Works Administration project, was dedicated by the Martin
County Board of Public Instruction on Feb. 22, 1934. The design reflects the one-teacher
Rosenwald Community School Plan No. 1-A for African American students by Booker T.
Washinton, Julius Rosenwald and the Tuskegee Institute. Segregated public schools in Martin
County were in North and South Jensen, Stuart, Hobe Sound, Gomez, Indiantown, and Port
Mayaca; and the Salerno Colored School is the only one remaining.
Electricity was installed in 1953. The schoolhouse was designated a Red Cross hurricane
shelter with 1943-61 teacher/principal and Tuskegee Institute postgraduate, Costella Williams,
“in charge.”
Students moved to Carver Gardens Elementary School, built across the street in 1961, and
the Salerno Colored School became the band room. Robert G. Murray was the first teacher in the
schoolhouse. In honor of 93 years of service as educators by Murray family members, Carver
Gardens was named Murray High School in 1964. Salerno Colored School was relocated behind
Murray High School in 1967 and served as the art classroom. The full desegregation of schools
took place during the 1968 term and all Martin County freshmen attended Martin together. In
1980, the Salerno Colored School was moved in front of Murray Middle School to its existing
site. When Costella Williams turned 90 in 1996, the schoolhouse became a revitalization project and was named the Costella Williams Learning Center. A community center was built next to the Salerno
Colored School in 1999 and both structures became the Costella Williams Learning Center.
After damage by Hurricanes Frances, Jeanne and Wilma, Martin County restored the Salerno
Colored School in 2012. Furnishings replicate the original interior. Condemned, saved from demolition, and restored, the Salerno Colored School was placed on the Martin County Historic Register in 2013 by the Martin County Historic Preservation Board.

04/27/2023

Join us on May 6th as we bring history to life with a special presentation by a Frederick Douglass reenactor and other exciting historical presentations! The Martin County Black Heritage Initiatives is proud to present this event as part of our ongoing mission to preserve and promote the rich history and culture of Black communities in Martin County. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn and engage with the past. See you there!

10/29/2022

SPOHP EVENT REMINDER

Date & Time: Wednesday, November 16th 5 PM
Location: UF Campus, Pugh Hall, Ocora room
Participants of the 2022 Mississippi Freedom Research Trip will give a panel on their experiences as they interviewed and learned about figures from the American Civil Rights movement.

Attend, and learn how you can travel through the Mississippi Delta in 2023.

Food and drinks will be provided. The event will also be streamed on Facebook live for those who cannot participate in person.

See our Facebook event page here:
https://fb.me/e/5bEeivtcF