Race and Change in Hollywood (FL) (Voices of America) [Paperback]

Kitty Oliver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 2000

Since its incorporation in 1915, Broward County has been a community in transition. Once a rustic frontier of palmettos and mangroves, then a seasonal tourist community, it is now a bustling area of over 1.5 million people. This metropolitan reputation was cemented in a Money magazine article in the late 1990s that touted the town of Hollywood, once just a bedroom community sandwiched between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, as having an ethnic make-up that mirrors what America will look like by the year 2022. That distinction led to an extensive, locally supported oral history project in Hollywood. The memories of 42 residents, recorded for the county's historical archives, span 75 years of racial and ethnic change in Hollywood. These candid accounts come from whites and African Americans; Hispanics of Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican descent; Bahamians and Jamaicans; Haitians; Chinese; and South Americans. Telling stories of the past-- of segregated beaches, buses, and rest rooms; of facing the culture of a new country; and of causes over the years that have brought different ethnic groups together--these individuals provide valuable, often poignant insight into race relations in America. And they do so in their own words.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In Race and Change in Hollywood, Florida, veteran South Florida journalist and oral historian Kitty Oliver has compiled the fascinating stories and anecdotes of Hollywood residents, people who have documented the region's history in their hearts and minds. Illustrated with photographs from local archives, historical societies, and the family albums of community members, this engaging volume addresses the issue of race in a single town, and in doing so, encourages the continuing discussion of race in our collective American past.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (June 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738505692
• ISBN-13: 978-0738505695
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,005,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice read. Well written. Short-but I like that., February 5, 2011

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P. Stein "Bengals Fan" (Beavercreek, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Race and Change in Hollywood (FL) (Voices of America) (Paperback)

First-I think it helps if you have a frame of reference for this material.
I am white. i think the major appeal may be to black persons, but it is a good read for anyone with a social conscience.

I spent part of each winter in the 1950s in Hollywood FL.
My grandparents ran the George and Francis Fruit Shoppe on North Federal Hwy.
My parents came down each winter to help, since my Dad's business did poorly in Boston in the winter.
We went to Youngs Circle each Christmas to watch Santa come in on the fire engine.
Saw my first Elvis Movie, "Love me Tender," at the Hollywood Blvd theatre when it came out.
Drove by Dania's Colored Beach, as it was then called.
Never saw any Klan. Never saw any violence.

Wonderful memories of the time.

The book accurately depicts things as they were.
The racism, the bigotry against blacks and Jews.
I was called a "N-lover," when walking with a friend in West Palm Beach.
The book is in the manner of interviews, but manages to be very entertaining. -as the author interviewed persons that lived in the time. That accounts for grammar issues. The author did not correct their grammar in writing the book. That is a nice touch.

My first exposure to the signs "colored only."
Limos parked next to the fruit stand, so their wealthy owners could buy fruit. All gone by mid March until next year.
The $ 7500 new homes (I went with my brother when he was looking for one).

A unique insight. My family wound up being the only white family in my Boston neighborhood. A neighborhood that went from being Jewish working class, to being almost entirely black. My elderly grandmother wouldn't leave her synagogue. My best friends were black. One day, I took my best friend to Boston's Revere Beach, and sat next to my aunt, who had a summer place there, and lots of friends on the beach. Later that day, she told me to never sit near her when I was with black friends. She was embarrassed. So whether Hollywood or Boston. Racism is everywhere.

I found this book when googling my grandmother's name with the words Hollywood, FL.

Enjoyed the photos. Wish there were more of them.