On September 29, 1877 the city of Sanford, Florida was incorporated. Originally inhabited by Mayaca Indigenous communities, later home of the Seminole Wars in the early-to-mid 1800s, Henry Shelton Sanford — a white business man and diplomat — purchased the land in 1870, with the hopes of creating a hub in South Florida.
Sanford became a lobbyist for King Leopold II of Belgium. In Washington, D.C. Sanford successfully convinced congress to recognize King Leopold II’s colonial claim to the Congo. Belgium’s colonization of the Congo killed roughly 10 million Congolese people. Additionally, Sanford and his political allies in D.C. advocated sending African Americans to Africa.
Poster from Ricardo Levins Morales Art Studio.
In 1946, Jackie Robinson played on Sanford Field as part of the first racially-integrated baseball team. The town of Sanford was the site of the 2012 murder of Black teenager Trayvon Martin.
Additional Resources
The Racist History of Sanford, Florida by Sean Yoes (Afro)
Racist Past Haunts Florida Town Where Trayvon Died by Tom Brown (Reuters)
Racial Tension Runs Through Sanford’s Roots with Mark Simpson (NPR’s All Things Considered)
Trayvon Martin’s Death Extends Sanford’s Sordid Legacy by Adam Weinstein (Mother Jones)
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