A memorial is being built in Key West to honor a group of slaves who died there after being freed by the U-S Navy from slave ships captured near the Cuban coast in 1860. Mike Kiniry has more.

A new exhibit at the Sanibel Public Library celebrates the contributions of African American’s to the barrier island’s development. In an era before mosquito control and air conditioning – year round residents were limited to a hardy few. These included several black farming families who put down roots that remain to this day. WGCU’s Valerie Alker prepared this report.

Click on the image to the left to see more pictures from the exhibition.

Some of the most important artifacts in American archaeology were discovered more than a century ago on Marco Island. Today, the island’s residents want to bring attention to both the ancient and modern history of the region. Recently a Marco couple donated one and a half million dollars toward a fundraising campaign to build a history museum on the island. And as Bill Dudley reports and others are doing it in a more unique fashion.

A group of Cuban exiles came from Miami to an island off the coast of Southwest Florida this weekend to commemorate 47 years since they secretly trained there to overthrow Fidel Castro. WGCU’s Amy Tardif was there and has this report.

A documentary titled “The Florida Dream” airs Wednesday night on many public television stations in the sunshine state. The program documents the rapid change in Florida following World War II. Gary Mormino is consulting historian on the project. He’s also Director of the Florida Studies Program at the University of South Florida…and author of “Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams”. Mormino told WGCU's Valerie Alker the idea of the "Florida Dream" has been around for quite some time...

Virginia Klotz, Margaret Webb, Margie Weeks, Ann Walsh, Betty Batey, Faith Pearson and Connie Porter

Produced by Christine Buckley.

Margaret Webb

Produced by Christine Buckley.

Maria Forsbrey

Christine Buckley Reports

Betty Batey, Margaret Webb, Ethel Kirkman, Ann Walsh, Manila Chester

Produced by Christine Buckley.

Irene Cosby, Annie Mae Green

Produced by Christine Buckley.