[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 131 (Thursday, August 1, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5308-S5309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                132ND ANNIVERSARY OF EATONVILLE, FLORIDA

 Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, on August 15, 1887, 2 
years after the end of the Civil War, history was made in Florida, when 
a group of newly freed slaves voted to incorporate the town of 
Eatonville on 122 acres of land. With its founding, Eatonville became 
the first African-American incorporated city in America. I want to 
congratulate Eatonville as they celebrate their 132nd anniversary and 
Founders Day this August. The story of Eatonville is one that all 
Americans should be proud of, and it stands today as an example to our 
Nation and the world.
  This town started as a tightly knit community, built around church, 
school, and family, and they have maintained that heritage through over 
a century of growth and development. They share the challenges faced by 
all of our communities: the need for good jobs, a great education for 
their children, and a safe community.
  Eatonville is famous for being the home for two influential authors, 
Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker. Zora Neale Hurston wrote about 
Eatonville in her 1937 novel, ``Their Eyes Were Watching God.'' Forty-
five years later, Alice Walker would write ``The Color Purple,'' which 
shared similar themes. Today, Eatonville and Zora Neale Hurston are 
recognized in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African 
American History and Culture in Washington, DC.
  In 2018, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded Eatonville the 
prestigious Culture of Health Prize for their efforts to address the 
high rates of diabetes in their community. This is an honor awarded to 
just a handful of communities across the Nation each year, with only 4 
winning cities out of 200 entries.
  To address the health needs of the entire community, they created the 
Healthy Eatonville Initiative and established a diabetes education and 
research center, the Healthy Eatonville Place, where residents can come 
to learn how to improve diet and exercise habits. They improved access 
to fresh fruits and vegetables. They built safe sidewalks and bike 
paths and placed historical markers along the way for all residents to 
learn and take pride in their rich history.
  I am proud of the community spirit of Eatonville and the work they 
have put in to make the community so successful. As Governor and now as 
Senator, it is an honor to work with partners like the Town of 
Eatonville to make Florida the best place to live, work, and raise a 
family, and I look forward to their future achievements.

[[Page S5309]]

  

                          ____________________