St. Petersburg College: SPC Celebrates The Legacy Of St. Pete Historian Minson Rubin On Feb. 26

Clearwater FL

04 February, 2022

11:42 AM

Description

Press release from the St. Petersburg College: 2022-02-04 St. Petersburg College will honor the late historian and archivist Minson Rubin on Feb. 26, highlighting his life's work that documents the civil rights movement in his hometown and Florida. Rubin, who passed away on Feb. 1, 2020, donated his collection to the college in 2015. During Black History Month, the SPC Foundation will showcase his legacy through a display of his archives to be unveiled at a community celebration in his honor from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the SPC Midtown Center, 1300 22nd St. S. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch will present a city proclamation declaring Feb. 26 as Minson Rubin Day. The celebration will also include: A mural unveiling by Zulu Painter at the Cecil B. Keene Center A performance by the Gibbs High School Marching Band A book drive and story time with Cultured Books Food for purchase provided by Midtown community establishments "It is a privilege and honor to recognize the life of one of St. Petersburg's icons, Mr. Minson Rubin. An educator at heart, an athlete, and historian, he created pathways and chronologized the history of the local Black community," SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams said. As a St. Petersburg native who was born and raised in Jordan Park, Rubin's collection prioritizes the preservation of information related to Black education, particularly Gibbs Junior College. "Minson's genius was his ability to capture history in real time by collecting photographs and news articles depicting historical events," said long-time friend Dr. Goliath Davis, III.  "His contribution to our city and community was his passion for archiving and sharing them with future generations." Rubin was a graduate of Gibbs Junior College and later went to FAMU to earn a degree in education. During his career as a Pinellas County teacher and basketball coach, he touched the lives of many and was known as a strong role model in the St. Petersburg community. For more information, contact SPC Foundation Assistant Curator Diana Bryson at [email protected] or visit stpe.co/RubinDay. This press release was produced by the St. Petersburg College. The views expressed here are the author's own.