Community members gathered Saturday at St. Lawrence A.M.E. Church to discuss Eatonville’s history, its future and the continuing dispute over the former Hungerford School property.
Orange County Public Schools approved the sale of the property to Dr. Phillips Charities for redevelopment, but a preservation group is challenging the deal in court, alleging it was negotiated illegally behind closed doors.
Before the discussion turned to development and the future of the land, speakers focused on what they believe is at stake.
Eatonville was incorporated in 1887 and is recognized as one of the country’s first self-governing, all-Black towns. Speakers said the town’s history extends beyond its most famous former resident, author Zora Neale Hurston, and includes generations of families whose stories must also be preserved and told.
UCF professor Dr. Scot French gave the crowd a brief history of Eatonville. Broadway performer and Eatonville native Norm Lewis also joined the event by Zoom.
Members of the public later spoke about their connections to the town and shared their visions for Eatonville’s future.
The former Hungerford School property once served generations of Black students who were denied educational opportunities elsewhere. People at Saturday’s meeting say the debate over the land is about more than redevelopment — it is also about who has a voice in shaping Eatonville’s future and who benefits from the town’s history.
The lawsuit challenging the sale remains pending.