Read About It: Poetry on the Deuces

To celebrate Poetry Month, we hosted Poetry on the Deuces as part of the Being Human Festival (US), a national celebration organized by the National Humanities Center that supports creative public events exploring history, storytelling, and what it means to be human.

This year’s festival theme was “Landmarks”, and according to the Cambridge Dictionary, a landmark is “a building or place that is easily recognized, especially one that helps you to know where you are.” Landmarks aren’t just physical locations; they’re places filled with memory, meaning, and cultural significance. They remind us of where we’ve been, help us see where we are, and shape where we’re going.

That’s exactly what Historic 22nd Street or The Deuces represents for us! Once a thriving corridor for Black businesses, artists, and excellence during St. Pete’s Jim Crow era, the Deuces is rich with stories that connect St. Pete’s past to its present.

Almost ten years ago, I was gifted a copy of Historic 22nd Street by Rosalie Peck and Jon Wilson. That book transformed how I saw the street and inspired our commitment to creating programs in and around the corridor. Hosting Poetry on the Deuces felt like a full-circle moment: going from reading about the Deuces to helping others experience its history in real time.

During the event, the street came alive through poetry, shared memories, youth voices, and collaborative art. Caprice Edmond, Pinellas County School Board member and tour guide with the African American Heritage Association of St. Petersburg led us on a inspiring walking tour of the corridor, after Youth Advisor, Ava Hardy, read Dream Street by Tricia Elam Walker and Ekua Holmes, and we reflected on the question: What makes a street more than a street? Youth and families responded with poems and collage art that reclaimed the Deuces not just as a place remembered, but as a space still being written into history.

Want to Read About It?

📚 Read the book: Historic 22nd Street by Rosalie Peck and Jon Wilson

🚶🏾‍♀️ Walk the Deuces: Visit the landmark during the African American Heritage Trolley Tour https://www.afamheritagestpete.com/heritage-trail

🗣️ Host your own story share with your family and community elders

🎨 Use books and art to explore your neighborhood's history