By Andrew Wardlow for VISIT FLORIDA

The history of greater Pensacola is intertwined with the story of its black community like the roots of a heritage oak standing guard over St. Michael's Cemetery. The markers of that legacy stretch from deep time — such as the stone marking the final resting place of Theresa, a black woman who was midwife and nurse to children of 'the king of Pensacola' in the 1800s — to the modern era with monuments to men of distinction like Gen. Chappie James. Those strong roots feed branches stretching into the city’s future as well, supported by local business owners, community leaders and artists of every stripe.