Downtown Crowd, February 2024

Downtown Crowd P E N S A C O L A’ S

FREE Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Q&A with Frontman Ronnie Winter

F E B 2024

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PENSACON 2024 A Weekend of Fandom Fun

Black History Month Honoring Pensacola’s Black History

Leah Chase

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Edna Lewis

Nathan “Nearest” Green

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AVAILABLE ALL MONTH LONG! Boiled Peanuts George Washington Carver: Prince of Peanuts

Featured Drinks: Nearest’s Old Fashioned and Uncle’s Kentucky Mule Nathan “Nearest” Green: The Original Jack Daniels

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DOWNTOWN CROWD | FEBRUARY 2024

CONTENTS

In case you haven’t noticed, we also enlisted the talents of local artist Gabe Smith, aka “Famous Gabe,” to create an original illustration for the cover of this month’s Pensacon-themed issue. A HUGE thanks to him, and we are grateful to have his work featured in our publication.

Thanks Gabe!

Assistant Editor Nicole Willis Art Director Ian Lett

Advertising Account Executives Paula Rhode paula@ballingerpublishing.com Geneva Strange geneva@ballingerpublishing.com For advertising rates or news tips contact Phone: 433.1166 • Fax: 435.9174

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DOWNTOWN CROWD is published by Ballinger Publishing.

Offices located at 21 E. Garden St., Ste. 205 Pensacola, FL 32502

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This month, we’ve also brought you details on the new Dragoncat Tattoo, local sites to visit in honor of Black History Month and an exclusive Q&A with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus frontman, Ronnie Winter.

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As always, we hope you enjoy the read and until next time,

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Q&A with Frontman Ronnie Winter Get Inked!

Dragoncat Tattoo Opens in Belmont-DeVilliers

10 Pensacon 2024 A Weekend of Fandom Fun

Cheers!

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12 Crazy for Cosplay Styling Your Look for Pensacon 16 Honoring Pensacola’s Black History 21 Community Calendar 22 Military Matters

ON THE COVER: Original illustration by Gabe Smith. @famousgabetattoo

Editor Morgan Cole

Editorial Interns Carey Clarkson Austin Mason

Morgan Cole, Editor

In this issue, we’ve brought you the complete rundown on where to go and what to know to ensure you get the most out of your Pensacon experience. We also had a chance to collaborate with the owners of Phantasma, Mike and Heather Ensley, to bring you some styled cosplay looks to provide you with a little inspiration for putting together your own unique outfit for all of this year’s Pensacon festivities. I want to give a big shout-out to the Ensley’s and the fantastic models for helping us put these looks together!

Executive Editor Kelly Oden

Graphic Designer Alana Cox

Editor’s Letter For many, the month of February marks the start of pink and red hearts and cheesy Valentine’s Day cards, but for some, it means three full days of celebrity photo ops and pop-culture themed events at our favorite local bars, restaurants and venues. That’s right Pensacola, it’s time for Pensacon!

Owner & Publisher Malcolm Ballinger

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Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Right Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services

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Don’t You Fake It: An Interview with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

by Nicole Willis

Ronnie Winter Gets Real About Music, Career and Addiction

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (RJSA) is a Floridaborn rock band that emerged onto the early 2000s emo scene. Rising to popularity alongside alternative greats like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, RJSA established their own identity as a band from that scene that has stood the test of time.

all those examples—because there are some towns where no band has ever come out of that region—we might not have even went for it. There’s definitely a rich history of rock in Florida and we try to just join up to that lineage.

DTC: While you’re not specifically a Christian band, you often incorporate spiritual themes in your music.

How has your experience been with expressing your faith in a genre that typically doesn’t embrace religion such as emo or punk?

DTC: How did it feel to experience success relatively RW: It’s funny, because the people who don’t want early in your career with your first LP, Don’t You Fake to hear about it are the same people who preach The band saw success with their 2006 hit Face Down, It? acceptance of all types. So it’s like, they want off of their first LP, Don’t You Fake It. For nearly two acceptance for how they live, but they don’t want to decades, RJSA has toured extensively both in festival RW: It didn’t feel early to us, but commercially, what a lot settings and headlining tours around the world. Today, of people forget about with almost any band is there’s a lot RJSA continues to entertain audiences across the that went on leading up to our first album. We had done a globe, and later this month, the band will perform lot of shows in Pensacola, Tallahassee, Ocala, Gainesville, live at Vinyl Music Hall in downtown Pensacola. DTC Orlando, Fort Myers, Tampa and Atlanta, for two years had the opportunity to chat with RJSA lead singer before we even signed a record deal. We all still had jobs; Ronnie Winter ahead of the group’s upcoming show we were also working nine to fives, so we would do what we call ‘weekend warrior runs.’ That’s how we got a record in Pensacola. deal, because we had demos before the album. A lot of RJSA will perform at Vinyl Music Hall on February 23. those [demo] songs made it onto that first record, but Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased online at when it comes to commercial success as far as being in vinylmusichall.com. To keep up with the band and their latest the public eye, the album did do really well quickly after projects, follow @redjumpsuitapparatus on Facebook or release date. So by that term, I would say, it felt good! @redjumpsuit on Instagram.

[Prior to the album release,] the only people who really DTC: How did growing up in Florida influence knew about us were people in Northeast Florida. They your music? were even a little bit disappointed that so many of our existing songs were on the first record, because RW: I think it had a huge influence. A lot of bands like they already knew them all. But the whole rest of the Underoath and Anberlin came from the Orlando area, country and the rest of the world, it was new to all of and even before that, Limp Biskit, and even before them. It was kind of funny; the hometown was already that, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet. There’s a ready for the second album, but the rest of the world really strong rock heritage in Florida from bands who was still discovering us. It was awesome to have the originated there and have gone on to have a lot of album well received because a lot of times if a band’s success. We always used to think about those bands first album doesn’t do well, they’ll get dropped by the when we were jamming in our little trailer in the middle record label. It’s really important to hopefully have at of the woods. We always used to think ‘Hey, if it worked least a song or two do well on your first release. for them, it can work for us.’ I think if we didn’t have

FEBRUARY 24 |

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give you acceptance for how you live. That’s what I’ve discovered, so there’s a little bit of duality in that. We try to just walk the line; we are spiritual in nature, but at the same time, we accept all walks of life. When you’re in a band, the first thing you realize when you go on tours is how many different kinds of people listen to your music—it’s really wild. So we accept everybody, all gender identifications, all religions, all races, we’ve never alienated any group. We do have a spiritual undertone, but we’re not a band who walks up with a Bible in our hand and start reading out of it, you know, we don’t do that. That’s not really our style.

DTC: Being that RJSA began making music in the the drum set. That doesn’t really work live. I prefer to Then, like you said, there’s all these new artists. There’s so early 2000s, what was it like gaining popularity from be in the back. I never really did interviews because many of them now, it’s hard to keep up! I think my favorite, the internet and specifically social platforms like I was always nervous about that. Now that I’ve been I’m pretty sure that people would call him emo, would be MySpace? doing it for so long, I finally got used to it.

KennyHoopla. I really like him a lot. I got to see him last year at a festival called Is For Lovers, which is Hawthorne RW: It was cool. When we first started this band, the I’ve gone through all kinds of addiction issues, and I’ve Heights’ festival that they put on all over the country. He internet was brand new. People were still listening to conquered most of those. I’m eight years sober from [KennyHoopla] just killed it and the crowd really loved him.

CDs; the number one way to listen to a band was to drugs and alcohol, so I feel fantastic. For a little while, He was really good and I really liked his music. put their CD in your car. When we actually went out I was using those [substances] to try to get through on tour, we were still selling CDs to people and now being on tour. We’re a band that’s been around for 20 DTC: Over the years, how have your influences those are gone. The cool thing about MySpace was years, and we never took a break, we’ve never had changed and impacted your music? you could play the music on your page. I think that’s a hiatus, we never broke up, we never took time off. what really changed everything—people were showing We toured that entire time, except for during COVID. RW: The one thing that we’re known for is honest lyrics. their identity with their MySpace pages by vibing them That was the only time in our career where we were The number one most searched thing in the history of our band for 20 years straight has been lyrics. You can out, putting up what later became emojis and wall off the road. check online and see what people are looking up about pictures. Then they would have their playlist, which I know plenty of people who drink and they do it your band and it’ll actually show you what they’re we now call a playlist, but back then there wasn’t even responsibly, and that just wasn’t me.

Because I’m in searching.

We thought that was really cool. I think a term for that. Sometimes people would have Red a band and every single day, there’s like 50 people it’s because all of our songs are like 98 percent true Jumpsuit on their playlist and we were like, ‘Whoa, like ‘Yo, that was a good show!

Have a drink, have a stories.

So from the very beginning, I got my influence check that out, we’re on this!’ We were looking at drink, have a drink!’

It was really peer pressure, the from my life.

Whether it’s something that’s happened random people’s pages, and getting a high off the want and the need to fit in, be part of a group and be to me or a friend or a family member that’s close to fact that they had one of our songs up there next to accepted as the cool guy.

I think that’s what happened me, I write songs about it, and then I share them with bands like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy; to me.

I’m much happier now, and it’s been almost 10 everybody else.

So, I don’t think my influences have it was just really exciting. years for me. I’m feeling good. I’m on the other side changed. But if you mean sonically, then I still listen We did gain a lot of popularity on [MySpace], but we of the battle. So now, I just kind of try to help others to the same stuff I did back in 2001. I am totally stuck didn’t even know we were popular there. We weren’t who are going through it. in the past; I still listen to all that early emo, early pop watching it all the time. Social media was big, but it punk and that’s it. That’s all I really listen to. I know I was still all so new, so it wasn’t like you were always DTC: What are your thoughts on the current emo need to branch out more, haha. looking at your phone. Later, when Instagram and scene? Are there any new artists that you’re DTC: Do you guys have any new or upcoming Facebook became big, that’s when we finally realized particularly inspired by? projects in the works? that we had this awesome, huge online presence. But, RW: I think it’s alive and well. It’s actually really the truth is, we didn’t even really know we were big amazing because for a while there, it kind of went RW: We do. We are literally right in the middle of on MySpace until MySpace was already dead. back into the underground. I feel like when My recording our newest album right now; we are halfway Chemical Romance came back, I started noticing done. We did just sign a new record deal, which is a DTC: As you’ve been playing for about 20 years all these other bands starting to reunite. We never big deal for us. We’ve kind of teased it, but we haven’t now, what changes have you seen or witnessed in broke up, so for us, we were always just sticking really talked about it too much. We’re gonna do a yourself? around. When My Chemical Romance came big announcement at some point. People who read RW: I’ve gone through a lot of changes. In the very back, it was like ‘Boom! This band came back, interviews will learn about it, but we haven’t really beginning, I was scared and had a lot of stage fright. this band came back, etc.’ Then When We Were done a huge social media push like, ‘Tada! We’re I’m actually the original drummer for the band and Young announced their festival around the same with these guys now.’ We signed a record deal with a I used to sing and play drums at the same time. time. It was really explosive. I’m glad we didn’t company called Better Noise who are really awesome.

Eventually, I just started singing because I kept running break up before that happened. It was cool to be We’re finishing our new album, and it’s going to be out of breath when I was playing and passing out on around for that. out sometime this year.

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| downtowncrowd.com

Get Inked!

Dragoncat Tattoo Opens in Belmont-DeVilliers

by Nicole Willis

Get excited because there’s a new cat on the block—Dragoncat Tattoo.

Located in the heart of Pensacola’s BelmontDeVilliers neighborhood, Dragoncat is hard to miss. The quaint building is adorned with gold details and bold, black accents.

Inside, flash-covered walls surround the workspaces of the shop’s four co-owners, Shauncey Fury, Alex Fame, Ryan Boxcar and Josh Adams.

Fury, Fame, Boxcar and Adams each have extensive backgrounds as tattoo artists, with a combined experience of more than 50 years in the industry. Each of the coowning artists have been tattooing for over a decade, with some having close to 20 years of experience. On the fitting day of Friday, October 13, the ownership team reached a new milestone in their careers with the opening of Dragoncat.

We had the chance to catch up with coowner Shauncey Fury to learn more about the new tattoo shop, the artistic and personal bond with his fellow co-owners and how the artists have combined their talents to establish Pensacola’s newest tattoo shop.

Born and raised in Pensacola, Fury got his start learning to tattoo locally in the early 2000s. Although Dragoncat is the first tattoo shop Fury has had ownership in, he’s already well-known for making his mark in the local tattoo scene.

“I started learning how to tattoo from Chip Baskin at Tattoo Fever on Garden Street back in 2003, and have been a professional tattoo artist since 2005 when I started working at what would eventually become Three Saints Tattoo, which was owned by Myck McClung. While I didn’t co-own that shop, Myck allowed quite a bit of leniency in operating how I saw fit, so I gained a lot of practice there,” Fury explained.

Fascinated with the counterculture of music and tattoos, and after a few years in the area developing his craft, Fury decided to combine his love of music and tattooing and head out on the road with some rock bands.

“I worked at a shop called All or Nothing in Smyrna, GA for a bit before moving to Ocala Tattoo, thanks to my friends in [the band] A Day To Remember encouraging me to work there. This lead to more touring before a

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From bold and colorful American traditional, to intricate black and gray designs, the artists at Dragoncat can bring just about any vision to life. Each artist has their own unique style that they specialize in.

“Alex enjoys Japanese style tattoos, as well as other cultural styles. Josh has a bold style utilizing strong lines, and heavy black shading to achieve incredibly vivid tattoos. Ryan’s designs are highly experimental psychedelic infusions of familiar imagery.

I like to do an American traditional style of work that varies from sternly classic to wildly innovative depending on the whims of the client,” Fury explained. “We make it a point to steer people towards the artist who we think would do a great job on their tattoo when someone doesn’t have a specific artist in mind,” he added.

move to Jacksonville to work at Diadem Tattoo. Then, my Pensacola return saw me working at my dream shop, Hula Moon with Gabe Smith. My time with that crew was highly important to me, and I still mourn the loss of that shop to this day.”

Upon his return to Pensacola, Fury began settling down and working as “a more confident tattooer than when [he] had left.”

Following the permanent closure of Hula Moon, Fury began tattooing at another local shop, Sacred Grounds Tattoo, where Fame, Boxcar and Adams reunited over their love for the craft.

“Alex, Ryan, Josh and I all worked closely together at our previous shop, and even encouraged one another before we actually worked together,” Fury explained. “We each got along well, and felt comfortable challenging, and accepting challenges from one another.”

With years of experience under their belts, the artists collaborated on the creation and opening of Dragoncat. This collaborative process was very important to each of the co-owning artists, as they wanted to create a place that everyone, including both artists and clients, were comfortable with.

“I always thought a person should be in the tattoo industry for at least a decade, if not two before opening a shop of their own. So many artists can’t wait to be out on their own so they can be the boss, and not have to listen to anyone else, but that very idea fights against the collaborative efforts of running a business. No man is an island, and it’s silly to pretend that any one person can fully satisfy the needs of keeping a business open, while also servicing the community with the processes of our service. That’s why Dragoncat was born as a collaboration from the beginning,” Fury explained.

The shop’s quirky name was inspired by Fame’s cat named “Dragon.” “Alex has a cat named Dragon, and a long time ago, we all drew a bunch of Dragoncats on a box that he used as a playhouse.

We were at Alex’s house one day tossing names around, and Josh said, ‘What about Dragoncat Tattoo?’ Since we had already spent about two weeks brainstorming every name possible, that one just rang through the noise as the right choice,” Fury explained.

According to Fury, one of the most important aspects of tattooing is communication between the client and the artist. The team at Dragoncat pride themselves on being communicative and real when it comes to people making permanent decisions for their bodies.

“Getting a tattoo is a very personal decision, so it’s important that you get along with your artist, and feel heard when you have concerns. We always encourage an open communication dialogue to make sure that everyone’s expectations and goals are the same, all the way through the process and afterwards,” Fury explained.

If you are interested in getting tattooed by one of the artists at Dragoncat, visit the shop at 417 N De Villiers St. to get a tattoo on the spot or schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are always welcome and can be accommodated a majority of the time.

For more on Dragoncat Tattoo and to check out some of their amazing work, follow Dragoncat Tattoo on Facebook and @dragoncattattoo on Instagram.

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| downtowncrowd.com

Pensacon 2024 A Weekend of Fandom Fun

by Nicole Willis

H

ere in Pensacola, the month of February marks the start of one of the most anticipated events of the year—Pensacon!

This annual comic convention has become a fan-favorite, and it’s returning February 23 through 25 for its eleventh year.

Pensacon lets everyone unleash their inner geek and take over the downtown streets while decked out in elaborate costumes dedicated to their favorite characters. Nerds and pop culture enthusiasts from across the country will flock to the Pensacola Bay Center to join in on the Pensacon fun.

Eleven years ago, Pensacon was simply a dream for Pensacola local Mike Ensley. As a lover of all things nerdy and wacky, Ensley began thinking of different ways that he could share this appreciation with fellow fans throughout the community. Upon analyzing the state of pop culture at the time, he felt as though Pensacolians would likely embrace an official gathering to celebrate all things weird, wacky and wonderful.

“Looking around at how pervasive nerd culture—comics, Sci-Fi, etcetera—had become, I just realized the time was right. Marvel was ruling the movies. The Big Bang Theory was the most popular show on TV. There was just an appreciation of nerdiness at that time,” Ensley said.

Little did he know he would create one of the largest and most spectacular events in the region. Since then, Pensacon has grown to become one of the most popular comic conventions along the Gulf Coast.

More than 30,000 people attend the convention each year.

The annual convention offers an abundance of activities hosted as part of the three-day event. Pensacon attendees have the opportunity to enjoy live entertainment, participate in gaming competitions, meet and greet with their favorite celebrities and writers, shop at a variety of vendor booths packed with memorabilia and unique merchandise, attend panel discussions and more. Whether you are a super fan or a casual pop-culture enthusiast, Pensacon offers a little something for every type of fan.

The event is held each February at the Pensacola Bay Center, which is where most of the action takes place. The Bay Center floor is flooded with vendors selling a variety of pop culture-themed merchandise.

The second floor of the Bay Center houses various celebrity guests and serves as a space for fans to attend exclusive meet and greets, get autographs and take photos with their favorite celebs.

The third-floor ring of the Bay Center is home to the Artist Alley and Writer’s Row portions of the convention, where artists and writers of different genres will showcase their work and meet and greet with attendees.

Outside of the Bay Center is Poseidon’s Bay—an outdoor area filled with food trucks, activities, a stage for live performances and more. Poseidon’s Bay opens one hour before the main doors each day.

In addition to the Bay Center, numerous Pensacon events will be hosted throughout the downtown area. “The biggest change [this year] is that we will be utilizing more of the venues at the Wright Place and First United Methodist Church to house panels and events,” Ensley explained.

In addition to expanding its presence throughout the downtown area, this year’s Pensacon will bring a large number of highly anticipated celebrity guests.

FEBRUARY 24 |

“More than 100 actors, artists, musicians, etcetera, will be at Pensacon,” Ensley said. “We’re lucky in that we’ve been around for 11 years now, so we are approached by agents offering us their clients. We do a lot of reunions, so we often work with multiple agents to pull those together.”

A variety of fandoms are also celebrating reunions at this year’s convention including, but not limited to, Star Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Walking Dead, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Death Note.

More than 10 actors and actresses from the Star Wars franchise will be present. Several notable voice actors from the Sonic the Hedgehog animated series and video game will be present—Jason Griffith, Lisa Ortiz and Pete Capella. Fans of AMC’s hit show, The Walking Dead, will be happy to see Chandler Riggs, Ross Marquand and Seth Gilliam at the convention as well.

Celebrating more than 36 years since first debuting on-screen, the original voice actors for the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series will also be in attendance—Cam Clarke who voiced Leonardo, Barry Gordon who voiced Donatello, Rob Paulsen who voiced Raphael and Townsend Coleman who voiced Michaelangelo.

There will also be a variety of popular anime voice actors in attendance, including Alessandro Juliani, Brad Swaile, Brian Drummond and Shannon Chan-Kent, all of whom played a role in the popular manga series, Death Note.

Attendees can also expect to meet other notable actors from films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and An American Werewolf in London.

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“I’m excited about all the guests! They all bring something special to the event— be it a legend like Vicki Lawrence or Lou Gossett Jr., a respected actor like Ron Perlman, or a first-time convention appearance like Faizon Love,” Ensley said.

“There are beloved genre stars like Mark Sheppard or Diane Franklin, incredible cartoon voice actors like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reuniting, anime stars in our Death Note reunion, respected film historians like David J. Skal and director Joe Dante and iconic gaming voices like Troy Baker.”

Ensley explained that research from Visit Pensacola showed that Pensacon’s economic impact each year is more than $3 million to the local economy.

“We’ve already started planning for 2025. We never stop working towards the next year,” he said.

With more than 30,000 attendees each year, the logistical aspect of Pensacon requires careful attention to detail and is a year-long planning process. To accommodate the mass swarm of convention goers filling the downtown streets, Ensley works closely with city officials to prepare for the weekend.

“We mainly work with permitting and traffic control with the city. We partner with the Pensacola Police Department to assist with traffic control and to keep folks safe crossing streets, and we also utilize Winterfest’s trolley system,” Ensley explained.

With many visiting Pensacola from out of town, Pensacon partners with the Pensacola International Airport each year to deck out the airport in pop culture imagery. “The airport has been a partner for 10 years now. Before the convention, they rebrand the entire airport. Guests and attendees who fly in are very happily surprised when they arrive and see all the changes,” Ensley said.

Tickets to this year’s Pensacon are on sale now and a variety of ticket options are available. The standard weekend pass is $99.99 and includes entry for all three days of the convention. The VIP Experience is $194.99 and includes early entry, access to fast pass lines, a VIP exclusive shirt and more. Single-day passes are also available for purchase starting at $50.

For tickets and event details, including the full schedule of official Pensacon 2024 events, visit pensacon.com. To keep up with Pensacon on social media, follow @pensacon on Facebook and @pensacolapensacon on Instagram.

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| downtowncrowd.com

Crazy for Cosplay

by Nicole Willis

Styling Your Look for Pensacon

In the spirit of Pensacon, we’ve collaborated with the co-owners of Phantasma, Mike and Heather Ensley, to style these creative costume looks to inspire your own ensemble for this year’s exciting Pensacon festivities.

Morticia Addams:

Donning a silky black dress with long, dangling sleeves, Sheri channels her inner Morticia.

To add some gothic flair, she pairs spider web heels and an antique-style statement necklace.

A pop of color is incorporated into her look with her bright red nail polish and bold lipstick.

Model: @SheriTheModel

Eric Draven & Skull Cowboy:

Models: Kyle Rose as Eric Draven & Mike Ensley as Skull Cowboy

Kyle’s simple black outfit serves as the base layer for this look. He transforms his look into the perfect Eric Draven costume by pairing a vintage-style oxblood leather jacket with his full face of black and white makeup. Mike pulls off the perfect Skull Cowboy look by pairing a black leather trench coat with a black, Westernstyle cowboy hat, and of course, no look inspired by The Crow would be complete without a faux black crow.

FEBRUARY 24 |

Models: Heather Ensley as Pugsley Addams & @SheriTheModel as Wednesday

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Wednesday & Pugsley Addams: Inspired by the Addams siblings in the 2022 Netflix series, Wednesday, these styled cosplay looks serve as the perfect look for a brother and sister or BFF costume.

Achieve a modern Wednesday Addams with a black, frilly dress and some pinned-back braids. Pugsley, Wednesday’s younger brother, is sporting a black and white-striped shirt, simple black shorts and a pair of knee-high black socks. Complete the look with a funky pair of dress shoes or Converse sneakers.

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Honoring Pensacola’s Black History

This vacation hotspot might be best known for its sugar-white beaches and turquoise water, but beyond its postcard beauty lies a rich and diverse history. In honor of Black History Month, here are eight important historical landmarks commemorating the struggles, triumphs and contributions of the Black community in Pensacola.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SITES: PENSACOLA PASS & FORT BARRANCAS In 2021, two sites in Pensacola were named to the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom is a federal program that commemorates the stories of the men and women who risked everything for freedom and those who helped them.

It honors, preserves and promotes the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight worldwide.

In the mid-1800s, Pensacola Pass formed part of a transportation route for freedom seekers sailing on the Underground Railroad. Freedom seekers sailed to destinations like the Bahamas, Massachusetts and New Hampshire to gain freedom. Fort Barrancas Area, commonly called the Barrancas during the Civil War, became a destination for freedom seekers in 1863. At the Barrancas, the Union maintained a military post—which included the Spanish Water Battery, Fort Barrancas and Advanced Redoubt—for recruiting, training and staging white and Black soldiers. Some freedom seekers became soldiers in the United States Colored Troops, playing an important role in the fight to restore the Union and destroy slavery.

BELMONT-DEVILLIERS NEIGHBORHOOD This historically Black neighborhood came to prominence during the early 20th century, when segregation and mounting racial tension pushed Pensacola’s Black residents out of the city center.

The neighborhood, clustered around the intersection of Belmont and DeVilliers streets, became a thriving commercial hub. It was also a prominent stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit—a network of mostly Blackowned entertainment venues that sprung to life during segregation and nurtured the careers of some of the biggest names in American music. In 2019, the area was named a spot on the historic Mississippi Blues Trail. The marker recognizes the works of those in the neighborhood dedicated to fostering the growth and appreciation of the Blues including Gussie Streeter of Gussie’s Record Shop and Abe Pierce Sr., of Abe’s 506 and Savoy Ballroom. Today, more than 200 markers have been placed throughout the southeast region to promote the understanding of blues history.

FEBRUARY 24 |

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JULEE PANTON HOUSE IN HISTORIC PENSACOLA VILLAGE Julee Panton was a free Black woman who owned a home in downtown Pensacola in the early 1800s, during the slavery era.

Historians write that she acquired her simple, wood-framed house, built-in 1805, for $300.

Panton operated her own business selling candles and pastries, but she is also believed to have helped many slaves to escape to freedom. Her home is now called Julee Cottage and is part of Historic Pensacola Village, a complex of historic homes and buildings in downtown operated by the University of West Florida Historic Trust. Patton’s cottage, now on E. Zaragoza Street, is the only surviving Pensacola home reminiscent of the urban Creole architecture of the French Quarter in New Orleans. It now houses an exhibit on Black history in West Florida.

GENERAL DANIEL “CHAPPIE” JAMES MUSEUM & FLIGHT ACADEMY Daniel “Chappie” James was born in Pensacola in 1920, during the height of the Jim Crow era. His mother, Lillie James, ran a private school for Black children out of her home in Pensacola’s Eastside neighborhood. From an early age, James knew the value of hard work and education — values that would serve him well later in life.

James went on to become one of the famed “Tuskegee Airmen” during World War II, and later, the nation’s first Black four-star general. Today, a memorial plaza stands on the site of James’ childhood home — along with the original concrete stoop, emblazoned with the words, “Chappie’s first steps.”

The memorial is a palpable reminder of the strength and perseverance of Pensacola’s Black community — even in the face of overwhelming odds.

In 2018, James’s childhood home, located at 1608 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in downtown Pensacola, was opened as General Daniel “Chappie” James Museum and Flight Academy.

PENSACOLA LUNCH COUNTER SIT-INS The Pensacola Lunch Counter Sit-Ins led to the integration of downtown cafes. From 1960 to 1962, protestors conducted sit-ins at downtown Pensacola department store lunch counters, demanding the restaurants be integrated. The events are commemorated in a historical marker located on Palafox Place near Garden Street in downtown Pensacola, outside the former site of Woolworth’s department store.

“Confronted by hecklers, they (the protestors) were physically and verbally harassed and even arrested on falsified charges,” according to the marker. As a result of the sit-ins, and an accompanying boycott of downtown businesses, the lunch counters were finally integrated on March 12, 1962.

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JOHNSON BEACH – ARMY PVT. ROSAMOND JOHNSON, JR. Army Pvt. Rosamond Johnson Jr. was only 15 years old when he enlisted in the army and only 17 years old when he saved two soldiers in battle during the Korean War on July 26, 1950. While attempting to save a third, Johnson was killed, marking him as the first Black soldier and first resident of Escambia County to be killed in the Korean War. At the time of his death, most Pensacola Bay Area beaches were not open to Blacks except for one in Perdido Key. The beach was accordingly renamed in his honor and remains to this day a part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. *Gulf Islands National Seashore is currently working on a project to enhance the visitor experience and decrease habitat impacts in the Perdido Key Area.

Johnson Beach Road (beyond the parking lot) will be closed until March 2024.

MIDDLE PASSAGE OF PENSACOLA/AFRICAN PRESENCE IN COLONIAL PENSACOLA MARKER Located at the end of Plaza de Luna on Palafox Street, the marker commemorates Pensacola as a Middle Passage port during the largest forced migration in history and the role it played in the transportation of 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to the Americas. More closely, the historical marker highlights the significant African presence in colonial Pensacola where the “influence and contributions of African children, women, men and their descendants in creating our nation and this region began,” the marker reads.

As documented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Slave Trade Route Project, two million enslaved Africans died during the journey and 500,000 were delivered directly to the North American mainland. Pensacola is one of 28 documented sites of memory for slave arrivals in the United States and the upbringing of this historical marker was recognized through the nonprofit Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project.

THE ELLA JORDAN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MUSEUM There are approximately 35,000 museums in the United States, of those, approximately 150 focus on African American studies and/or history. From that 150, less than ten are focused on African American Women’s history.

Located at 423 N. C St. in downtown Pensacola, the Ella Jordan African American History Museum was established to honor the significant political, social and economic contributions of African American women in our community throughout our history, particularly that of Ms. Ella L Jordan. This museum preserves the history of the women’s stories, captures the historical importance of place and positions this history to reinstate the philanthropic work of women to support the youth of tomorrow. Although the immediate area is still predominantly a Black neighborhood, several blocks away residents are young people, many of which are first-time home owners with a desire to live in diverse neighborhoods. The Ella Jordan African American History Museum is a vibrant, eclectic, educational community center highlighting Black women’s history and a one-of-its kind in Pensacola and the nation.

Today, as in the past, travelers have the opportunity to learn and participate in Black history that has had a profound influence on the Pensacola Bay Area and its culture.

Information Courtesy of Visit Pensacola

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FEBRUARY 24 |

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FEBRUARY COMMUNITY EVENTS Pensacola Ice Flyers Schedule and Theme Nights February home games and theme nights at the Pensacola Bay Center. For tickets and information, visit iceflyers.com.

February 2 at 7:05 pm - Birmingham Bulls vs Ice Flyers; 15th Anniversary & $5 Night February 3 at 7:05 pm - Macon Mayhem vs Ice Flyers; 15th Anniversary & $5 Night February 16 at 7:05 pm - Quad City Storm vs Ice Flyers; Dino Race Night February 17 at 7:05 pm - Quad City Storm vs Ice Flyers; Military Appreciation Night February 18 at 4:05 pm - Quad City Storm vs Ice Flyers; Friends and Family Night

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time @ PLT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 2-18 Based on the novel of the same name, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a mysterious adventure. Set in England, the story is visually told through the mind of 15-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone, a mathematical genius with an unspecified autism spectrum disorder. Join Christopher investigate the mystery surrounding the death of Wellington, his neighbor’s dog, after he finds the dog speared with a garden fork. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will be at the Pensacola Little Theatre located at 400 South Jefferson St. For showtimes, tickets and more information, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

Chris Gustin & Nancy Train Smith - The Fluidity of Perception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 8 In collaboration with the Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society, PSC will display a collection of artwork from an internationally known artist couple, Chris Gustin and Nancy Train Smith.

Through his explorations of form, Chris invites the viewer to seek personal connections to his work, while Nancy utilizes abstracted forms to depict her own perception of the natural world.

The exhibit will be on display at the Pensacola State College Charles W. Lamar Studio Gallery.

A lecture will be held on February 8 at 5 pm at the Lamar Lecture Hall (Bldg. 1513), with a reception immediately following to be held from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Lamar Studio. For details, visit pensacolastate.edu.

Krewe of Lafitte Illuminated Mardi Gras Parade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 9 The Krewe of Lafitte will light up downtown Pensacola with their Illuminated Mardi Gras Parade! Parade floats are already impressive, but they look even cooler when they’re completely lit up! This family-friendly event kicks off at 7:30 pm and runs until around 9 pm. Crowds can expect to be entertained by marching bands, lighted floats and great throws. The parade begins at Spring and Garden streets and runs down Palafox through downtown Pensacola. For more information, visit pensacolamardigras.com.

6th Annual Joe Relaxo Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 9 The 6th Annual Joe Relaxo Challenge is back at the Hunter Amphitheater at Community Maritime Park. Are you ready to take on the challenge of running for 24 hours? The Joe Relaxo Challenge is to run one mile every 30 minutes for 24 hours.

Don’t wanna race solo? No worries, grab your running buddy and sign up for the 2-person team. Food and hydration will be provided to participants. Packet pickup is from 4 pm to 5:30 pm on site. The challenge begins at 6 pm. To register or learn more, visit runpensacola.com.

Mania The ABBA Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 14 The world’s number one touring ABBA tribute is stopping by the Pensacola Saenger Theatre.

Mania The ABBA Tribute has the look, feel and sound of the ABBA we all know and love. Ever since Mania The ABBA Tribute was formed in 1999, the show has been selling out theaters and concert halls across the globe. This show has toured the world in its quest to bring the music of the Swedish Supergroup to their millions of fans, old and new. The Pensacola Saenger Theatre is located at 118 South Palafox Place. Doors open at 7 pm and the show begins at 8 pm. For tickets and more information, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

PSO presents Queens of Soul

Pensacola. The event will feature food trucks and vendors selling a variety of chocolate and cheese items, as well as beverages such as beer, wine, chocolate martinis and more. Be sure to stop by a sampling tent for a bite to enjoy while browsing.

In addition to the delectable eats, there will be live entertainment, contests and activities for kids.

The event will run from 10 am to 6 pm. There is a $5 entry fee and kids 12 and under are free. For more information, visit apexshowsandevents.com.

Pensacola Opera’s Rock the Runway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 22 Pensacola Opera is pleased to announce its musical fashion-fusion event—Rock the Runway—featuring members of the star-studded show, Rock Me Amadeus Live, from New York City. On February 22 at Vinyl Music Hall, the fashion runway will be filled with the sound of iconic tunes from your favorite 70s, 80s and 90s bands blended with the melodies of operatic masterpieces. Featuring opera-inspired designs curated by local boutiques, this evening promises to bring together the worlds of music and fashion in a way that is visually and artistically stunning.

All proceeds directly support professional opera performances and education programs that enrich the culture of our community. Doors open at 6 pm and the show begins at 7 pm. For tickets and more information, visit pensacolaopera.com.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 17 Celebrate the iconic soul and R&B music of Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys and Adele in a symphonic tribute that spans six decades. The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra will take the stage of the Pensacola Saenger Theatre on February 17 to honor some of the queens of soul. Featuring vocalists Tamika Lawrence, Kelly Levesque and Shayna Steele, this concert includes favorites such as Proud Mary, Rollin in the Deep, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and more. The Pensacola Saenger Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade Theatre is located at 118 South Palafox Place.

Doors open at 6 pm and the show begins at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 10 7:30 pm. For tickets and more information, visit Come From Away The Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade is pensacolasymphony.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 22 & 23 annually the largest and most extravagant parade On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories in Pensacola. The parade features a number 3rd Annual Youth Arts Day moved us all. Broadway’s Come From Away takes of Krewes from the area, local organizations, you into the heart of the remarkable true story of businesses and everything from marching bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 17 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town to Scout groups. Each year, more than 6,000 Celebrate the arts at the Pensacola Museum of in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures individuals participate in the parade, drawing tens Art! This free community event gives kids the clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness of thousands of spectators. The Pensacola Grand chance to sample the visual and performing arts turned into trust, music soared into the night, Mardi Gras Parade begins at 2 pm and continues through various activities. Some of our favorite and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. until around 7 pm. The parade runs along Palafox local arts organizations will be on site featuring Come From Away will be performed here in and Garden streets in historic downtown short performances throughout the afternoon, Pensacola on the Saenger Theatre stage on Pensacola. For details and to view a map of the including the Pensacola Opera, Pensacola February 22 and 23. The Pensacola Saenger Children’s Chorus, Pensacola Little Theatre, and Theatre is located at 118 South Palafox Place. parade route, visit pensacolamardigras.com.

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. Visitors can also Doors open at 6:30 pm and the show begins at Krewe of Wrecks Mardi Gras Parade enjoy hands-on art activities and a scavenger 7:30 pm. For tickets and more information, visit hunt, as well as our 70th Annual Youth Art Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .February 11 exhibition on view throughout the 2nd floor of pensacolasaenger.com.

Enjoy a Mardi Gras parade with an island the museum. This exhibition highlights artwork atmosphere at the Krewe of Wrecks Parade. created by K-12 students and art educators from Keith Sweat: Make It Grab your beads and wear your best purple, the Escambia County School District. Events run Last Forever Tour green and gold to Pensacola Beach on February from 12 pm to 3 pm. For more information, visit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 29 11 from 2 to 4 pm. This annual parade serves pensacolamuseum.org.

Singer, songwriter and producer, Keith Sweat, as the last parade of the season and features is bringing his Make It Last Forever Tour to the grand floats, tons of beads, candy and doubloons. Pensacola Chocolate Pensacola Bay Center on February 29. This night Multiple after-parties will be hosted at different will be jam-packed with timeless R&B hits, soulful and Cheese Fest venues on Pensacola Beach. The parade route melodies and an electrifying atmosphere as Sweat will begin at Avenida 10 and Via DeLuna, runs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 18 is joined by two iconic acts, Tyrese and Pretty west and disbands at the Gulfside Pavilion in the If you love all things decadent and rich, the Ricky. Doors for the show open at 6 pm and the Casino Beach parking lot. For parade details, visit Pensacola Chocolate and Cheese Fest is the show begins at 7 pm. The Pensacola Bay Center place for you! The Second Annual Pensacola is located at 201 E Gregory St. For tickets and pensacolabeachmardigras.com.

Chocolate and Cheese Fest will be hosted more information, visit pensacolabaycenter.com. at Community Maritime Park in downtown

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MILITARYMATTERS AN ARMED FORCES NEWS SECTION

NETSAFA INTERNATIONAL TRAINING CENTER VISITS NORU

STORY AND PHOTO BY NAVA KISS, NAVY RECRUITING ORIENTATION UNIT

S

tudents’ heads turned as Senior Chief Navy Counselor (NCCS) Theodore Boerner walked down the hall, giving his newest class a tour of the recruiting schoolhouse.

However, it wasn’t the unfamiliar faces that piqued their interest and curiosity.

On Janaru 12, the Navy Recruiting Orientation Unit (NORU) welcomed 11 members of international military services taking part in a Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity (NETSAFA) International Training Center course, including representatives from Angola, Barbados, Hungary, Thailand, Georgia, the Philippines and the Czech Republic. The five-and-a-half-week course “encompasses everything manpower, personnel, training, and education related,” says Michael Owen, International Military Instructor (USMC Capt/Ret) and the group’s unofficial tour guide during their time stateside.

The course is one of three offered by the NETSAFA International Training Center, with the other two pertaining to the topics of terrorism and leadership. Applicants are chosen by their country based on a competitive process that includes aspects such as English proficiency and performance of their role at home.

During their time at NORU, the 11 students were briefed by NCCS Boerner on the state of recruiting in the Navy and United States before he opened up the floor for questions and discussion on the topic. As it turns out, recruiting and retention seem to be struggling across the globe.

Next, the class will visit Parris Island to observe and learn about Marine Corps Recruit Training. “At the end of the five weeks, they have to give a brief about what they learned during their time here and how they can apply it to make change back at home, ” Owen said. With over 50 countries trained so far, that’s a lot of progress being made on a global scale.

NORU is the Navy’s sole recruiting schoolhouse responsible for the instruction of Enlisted and Officer personnel in professional sales, prospecting techniques, marketing, applicant processing, recruiting terminology, leadership, ethical behavior and activity analysis. It also provides continuum training for the Navy’s Career Recruiting Force and prepares selected leaders for the challenges of operating a Navy Recruiting District (NRD).

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