Featured on News 13, undergraduate students in Robert Cassanello’s Digital Museum class created the Jones High School Museum Digital History Exhibit, which tells the history of the first public high school for black Americans.
The UCF History Department was featured on News 13 earlier this month for the Jones High School Museum Digital History Exhibit. Created by undergraduate students in Dr. Robert Cassanello’s Digital Museum class, the online exhibit tells the 124-year history of the first public high school for black Americans. The exhibit will be on display at UCF Celebrates the Arts on April 8, 2019.
Jones High School opened in 1895 and was the only public high school for black Americans until the 1960s. With the help of alumni, the Jones High School Historical Society collected decades worth of photos, yearbooks and newspapers in the hopes of preserving the school’s history. There are even some celebrities in the old yearbooks, such as actor Wesley Snipes.
Originally, only Jones High School students and staff could enjoy the historical memorabilia at the school’s museum. So, with funding from the Florida Humanities Council, Cassanello and his students created the Jones High School Museum Digital History Exhibit to showcase the museum’s materials.
The project gave Cassanello’s students the opportunity to learn how to curate historical content for the digital world. It also uncovered untold stories. Some reflect on backlash the school faced during the Civil Rights Movement, such as an oral history of a cross burning by the Ku Klux Klan that occurred outside the school in 1952. But others tell stories of hope and perseverance. Among these is “Jones High School as the Neighborhood School,” which embodied the idea that Jones is the center of the community and a hub of activity. Hopefully, by bringing Jones’ history public, the school can continue that legacy and make sure its rich history lives on.
“The Jones High School Historical Society did a great job chronicling their history,” said Cassanello, an assistant professor of history. “They created these narrative stories that were truly wonderful.”
The Jones High School Digital History Exhibit can be viewed here. See it at UCF Celebrates the Arts on April 8, 2019 from 6:30-10 p.m. in the Della Phillips Grand Lobby of Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.