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La Unión Martí-Maceo

January 01, 1970

La Unión Martí-Maceo (also known as the Martí-Maceo Society)[1] is a historic social club in Ybor City, Florida, established by Afro-Cubans.[2][3] It was founded in 1900. It is a site on the Florida Black Heritage Trail[4][5] and Tampa's Soulwalk. It is at 1226 East 7th Avenue. The ornate clubhouse was demolished during an urban renewal redevelopment program in the 1960s, and its headquarters was proposed for sale to address financial difficulties in 2018.

Historical marker in front of the building

The scholar Susan D. Greenbaum described the club as "the focal institution around which, and inside of which, the Afro-Cuban identity emerged in Tampa."[1]

Background edit

Benefit societies, or sociedades,[6] were commonly organized by Spanish immigrants to Cuba in the later decades of the 1800s. As Cubans immigrated to Florida, notably Ybor City, they founded similar societies to collectively provide medical care.[6][7] Other immigrant groups to the city also founded ethnic societies. The first such group to be founded in Ybor City was El Centro Español de Tampa, in 1891. Its membership primarily consisted of Galician and Asturian cigarmakers. After El Centro Español, other clubs founded included the Italian L'Unione Italiana (1894),[7] the Centro Asturiano,[8] and the Cuban El Club Nacional Cubano (1899).[7]

History edit

The society was named after José Martí and Antonio Maceo Grajales, leaders in the Cuban War of Independence.[9]

Formation edit

While El Club Nacional Cubano initially allowed members of any race, in late 1900 the club decided to exclude Black Cubans.[10] Sarah McNamara writes that "Anglo political powerholders" forced this change.[11] Many in Florida politics were bothered by the fluid and peaceful race-relations in Ybor City so the Florida state government pressured the city to enforce the Jim Crow laws.[12] On October 26, 1900, twenty-four Afro-Cubans who were members of the club announced the formation of another organization, Los Libres Pensadores de Martí y Maceo.[13]

Los Libres Pensadores de Martí y Maceo[14] was founded as a benefit society, which primarily served its members by subsidizing the cost of medical treatment.[15] Membership was initially restricted to Afro-Cubans, but Puerto Ricans also joined.[16] The club also paid members $1.50 for every day they could not work due to sickness. Dues initially were 60 cents per week.[15] Because there were no hospitals in Tampa at the beginning of the 20th century that would treat Black people (and after 1908, there was only Clara C. Frye's), the society sent ill members to Cuban hospitals, where they paid for treatment and a return trip.[17]

The club also ran a school aimed at preserving Black Cuban heritage. It offered night classes to community members on the Spanish language and Cuban history. The club itself required that Spanish be spoken in its building in an effort to preserve their culture, but encouraged members to learn English.[14] Greenbaum conducted a study of the club finances which concluded that, on average, officers of the club received worse benefits in proportion to the funds they put into the club than members.[18]

Early history (1900-1945) edit

The club was inaugurated with a dance in October 1900.[19] In 1904, Los Libres Pensadores de Martí y Maceo merged with La Unión, another Black sociedad, forming the combined group La Unión Martí-Maceo.[20]

In 1908, the society built a hall for events, which was at the time the largest facility Black people could use in Tampa. Greenbaum attributes their ability to erect such a prominent building to the fact that while the society represented only a small portion of Blacks in Tampa, Afro-Cubans were paid higher wages on average than African-Americans, and their population was concentrated in one society, rather than divided between many.[17] The building's two floors held a dance hall, various rooms for meetings, and a theater with a capacity of 900.[14] The Centennial History of Ybor City wrote that this hall “sponsored virtually every social and cultural event celebrated” by the community it served.[21] The club also had a baseball team, Los Gigantes Cubanos (The Cuban Giants), which competed against other Latin clubs in the area.[22]

The society began admitting African-Americans in 1915, with the requirement that they speak Spanish.[23]

Later history (1945-present) edit

From 1948 to 1956, the Martí-Maceo society received substantial funding from Fulgencio Batista personally, as well as the government of Cuba. These funds allowed the organization to work on preserving and maintaining historic buildings, such as the boarding house of Paulina Pedroso. In 1955, the club denied a request by Fidel Castro to speak in their hall, saying it was not permitted in their bylaws to allow political speeches.[24]

The original clubhouse building was demolished in 1965 as part of an Urban Renewal redevelopment program. The organization then moved to a new building on East 7th Avenue and 14th Street near José Martí Park.[25] The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill, which was then signed into law, in 1989 which recognized the Unión for its work. Reflecting the government's role in the clubhouse's destruction, the bill requested that Tampa and Ybor City "take any and all steps necessary to preserve the headquarters of La Unión Martí-Maceo and protect it from the consequences of the urban renewal process"[26] In 1997, a historic marker was placed outside the hall by the Tampa/Hillsborough County Preservation Board.[27] The headquarters was proposed for sale to address financial difficulties in 2018, but this did not go through.[28]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Greenbaum 2002, p. 148.
  2. ^ "Sociedad La Union Marti-Maceo | Ybor Chamber of Commerce". Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  3. ^ Christou, rea; Team, the Tampa Historical. "Sociedad La Union Martí-Maceo - The Social Club of a Minority within a Minority". Tampa Historical.
  4. ^ "THE FLORIDA BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL". Tampa Bay Times.
  5. ^ "The Florida Black Heritage Trail (30-55)". Tampa Bay Times. 7 February 1994. p. 38. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b McNamara 2023, p. 52.
  7. ^ a b c Greenbaum 2002, p. 153.
  8. ^ McNamara 2023, p. 108.
  9. ^ McNamara 2023, p. 225n22.
  10. ^ Greenbaum 2002, pp. 104–106.
  11. ^ McNamara 2023, p. 3.
  12. ^ Mormino, Gary R.; Pozzetta, George E. (December 1, 1985). "The Cradle of Mutual Aid: Immigrant Cooperative Societies in Ybor City". Tampa Bay History. 7 (2): 11.
  13. ^ Greenbaum 2002, pp. 104–.
  14. ^ a b c McNamara 2023, p. 111.
  15. ^ a b Greenbaum 2002, pp. 148, 153.
  16. ^ Hewitt 2001, pp. 124, 129.
  17. ^ a b Greenbaum 2002, p. 149.
  18. ^ Greenbaum 2002, p. 152.
  19. ^ "Study of 'La Union Marti Maceo'". digital.lib.usf.edu.
  20. ^ Hewitt 2001, p. 119.
  21. ^ University of South Florida 1985, p. 47.
  22. ^ Mormino, Gary R.; Pozzetta, George E. (December 1, 1985). "The Cradle of Mutual Aid: Immigrant Cooperative Societies in Ybor City". Tampa Bay History. 7 (2): 12.
  23. ^ Hewitt 2001, p. 124.
  24. ^ McNamara 2023, pp. 158–160.
  25. ^ Lastra, Frank Trebín (2006). Ybor City: The Making of a Landmark Town. Tampa: The University of Tampa Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-1-59732-002-3.
  26. ^ "Collection: Sociedad la Unión Martí-Maceo records | USF Libraries - Tampa Special Collections ArchivesSpace". archives.lib.usf.edu. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  27. ^ Greenbaum 2010, p. 59.
  28. ^ Guzzo, Paul (October 29, 2018). "The historic Marti-Maceo nearly sold its clubhouse. Members stopped it". Tampa Bay Times.

Bibliography edit

  • Greenbaum, Susan D. (2002). "Sociedad la Unión Martí-Maceo". More Than Black: Afro-Cubans in Tampa. University Press of Florida. pp. 148–177. ISBN 0-8130-2466-8.
  • Greenbaum, Susan D. (2010). "Afro-Cubans in Tampa". The Afro-Latin@ reader : history and culture in the United States. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-4558-9 – via Archive.org.
  • Hewitt, Nancy A. (2001). Southern Discomfort: Women's Activism in Tampa, Florida, 1880s-1920s. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-02682-9.
  • Lastra, Frank Trebín. (2006). Ybor City: The Making of a Landmark Town. The University of Tampa Press.
  • McNamara, Sarah (2023). Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South. The University of North Carolina Press – via Project MUSE.
  • Mormino, Gary R. and George E. Pozzetta (1985). "The Cradle of Mutual Aid: Immigrant Cooperative Societies in Ybor City." Tampa Bay History 7 (2): 1-23.
  • A Centennial History of Ybor City. Department of History, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of South Florida. 1985.

27°57′37.5″N 82°26′45.5″W / 27.960417°N 82.445972°W / 27.960417; -82.445972

January 01, 1970
unión, martí, maceo, also, known, martí, maceo, society, historic, social, club, ybor, city, florida, established, afro, cubans, founded, 1900, site, florida, black, heritage, trail, tampa, soulwalk, 1226, east, avenue, ornate, clubhouse, demolished, during, u. La Union Marti Maceo also known as the Marti Maceo Society 1 is a historic social club in Ybor City Florida established by Afro Cubans 2 3 It was founded in 1900 It is a site on the Florida Black Heritage Trail 4 5 and Tampa s Soulwalk It is at 1226 East 7th Avenue The ornate clubhouse was demolished during an urban renewal redevelopment program in the 1960s and its headquarters was proposed for sale to address financial difficulties in 2018 Historical marker in front of the building The scholar Susan D Greenbaum described the club as the focal institution around which and inside of which the Afro Cuban identity emerged in Tampa 1 Contents 1 Background 2 History 2 1 Formation 2 2 Early history 1900 1945 2 3 Later history 1945 present 3 References 4 BibliographyBackground editBenefit societies or sociedades 6 were commonly organized by Spanish immigrants to Cuba in the later decades of the 1800s As Cubans immigrated to Florida notably Ybor City they founded similar societies to collectively provide medical care 6 7 Other immigrant groups to the city also founded ethnic societies The first such group to be founded in Ybor City was El Centro Espanol de Tampa in 1891 Its membership primarily consisted of Galician and Asturian cigarmakers After El Centro Espanol other clubs founded included the Italian L Unione Italiana 1894 7 the Centro Asturiano 8 and the Cuban El Club Nacional Cubano 1899 7 History editThe society was named after Jose Marti and Antonio Maceo Grajales leaders in the Cuban War of Independence 9 Formation edit While El Club Nacional Cubano initially allowed members of any race in late 1900 the club decided to exclude Black Cubans 10 Sarah McNamara writes that Anglo political powerholders forced this change 11 Many in Florida politics were bothered by the fluid and peaceful race relations in Ybor City so the Florida state government pressured the city to enforce the Jim Crow laws 12 On October 26 1900 twenty four Afro Cubans who were members of the club announced the formation of another organization Los Libres Pensadores de Marti y Maceo 13 Los Libres Pensadores de Marti y Maceo 14 was founded as a benefit society which primarily served its members by subsidizing the cost of medical treatment 15 Membership was initially restricted to Afro Cubans but Puerto Ricans also joined 16 The club also paid members 1 50 for every day they could not work due to sickness Dues initially were 60 cents per week 15 Because there were no hospitals in Tampa at the beginning of the 20th century that would treat Black people and after 1908 there was only Clara C Frye s the society sent ill members to Cuban hospitals where they paid for treatment and a return trip 17 The club also ran a school aimed at preserving Black Cuban heritage It offered night classes to community members on the Spanish language and Cuban history The club itself required that Spanish be spoken in its building in an effort to preserve their culture but encouraged members to learn English 14 Greenbaum conducted a study of the club finances which concluded that on average officers of the club received worse benefits in proportion to the funds they put into the club than members 18 Early history 1900 1945 edit The club was inaugurated with a dance in October 1900 19 In 1904 Los Libres Pensadores de Marti y Maceo merged with La Union another Black sociedad forming the combined group La Union Marti Maceo 20 In 1908 the society built a hall for events which was at the time the largest facility Black people could use in Tampa Greenbaum attributes their ability to erect such a prominent building to the fact that while the society represented only a small portion of Blacks in Tampa Afro Cubans were paid higher wages on average than African Americans and their population was concentrated in one society rather than divided between many 17 The building s two floors held a dance hall various rooms for meetings and a theater with a capacity of 900 14 The Centennial History of Ybor City wrote that this hall sponsored virtually every social and cultural event celebrated by the community it served 21 The club also had a baseball team Los Gigantes Cubanos The Cuban Giants which competed against other Latin clubs in the area 22 The society began admitting African Americans in 1915 with the requirement that they speak Spanish 23 Later history 1945 present edit From 1948 to 1956 the Marti Maceo society received substantial funding from Fulgencio Batista personally as well as the government of Cuba These funds allowed the organization to work on preserving and maintaining historic buildings such as the boarding house of Paulina Pedroso In 1955 the club denied a request by Fidel Castro to speak in their hall saying it was not permitted in their bylaws to allow political speeches 24 The original clubhouse building was demolished in 1965 as part of an Urban Renewal redevelopment program The organization then moved to a new building on East 7th Avenue and 14th Street near Jose Marti Park 25 The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill which was then signed into law in 1989 which recognized the Union for its work Reflecting the government s role in the clubhouse s destruction the bill requested that Tampa and Ybor City take any and all steps necessary to preserve the headquarters of La Union Marti Maceo and protect it from the consequences of the urban renewal process 26 In 1997 a historic marker was placed outside the hall by the Tampa Hillsborough County Preservation Board 27 The headquarters was proposed for sale to address financial difficulties in 2018 but this did not go through 28 References edit a b Greenbaum 2002 p 148 Sociedad La Union Marti Maceo Ybor Chamber of Commerce Retrieved 11 October 2020 Christou rea Team the Tampa Historical Sociedad La Union Marti Maceo The Social Club of a Minority within a Minority Tampa Historical THE FLORIDA BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL Tampa Bay Times The Florida Black Heritage Trail 30 55 Tampa Bay Times 7 February 1994 p 38 Retrieved 11 October 2020 a b McNamara 2023 p 52 a b c Greenbaum 2002 p 153 McNamara 2023 p 108 McNamara 2023 p 225n22 Greenbaum 2002 pp 104 106 McNamara 2023 p 3 Mormino Gary R Pozzetta George E December 1 1985 The Cradle of Mutual Aid Immigrant Cooperative Societies in Ybor City Tampa Bay History 7 2 11 Greenbaum 2002 pp 104 a b c McNamara 2023 p 111 a b Greenbaum 2002 pp 148 153 Hewitt 2001 pp 124 129 a b Greenbaum 2002 p 149 Greenbaum 2002 p 152 Study of La Union Marti Maceo digital lib usf edu Hewitt 2001 p 119 University of South Florida 1985 p 47 Mormino Gary R Pozzetta George E December 1 1985 The Cradle of Mutual Aid Immigrant Cooperative Societies in Ybor City Tampa Bay History 7 2 12 Hewitt 2001 p 124 McNamara 2023 pp 158 160 Lastra Frank Trebin 2006 Ybor City The Making of a Landmark Town Tampa The University of Tampa Press p 90 ISBN 978 1 59732 002 3 Collection Sociedad la Union Marti Maceo records USF Libraries Tampa Special Collections ArchivesSpace archives lib usf edu Retrieved 2023 02 23 Greenbaum 2010 p 59 Guzzo Paul October 29 2018 The historic Marti Maceo nearly sold its clubhouse Members stopped it Tampa Bay Times Bibliography editGreenbaum Susan D 2002 Sociedad la Union Marti Maceo More Than Black Afro Cubans in Tampa University Press of Florida pp 148 177 ISBN 0 8130 2466 8 Greenbaum Susan D 2010 Afro Cubans in Tampa The Afro Latin reader history and culture in the United States Duke University Press ISBN 978 0 8223 4558 9 via Archive org Hewitt Nancy A 2001 Southern Discomfort Women s Activism in Tampa Florida 1880s 1920s University of Illinois Press ISBN 978 0 252 02682 9 Lastra Frank Trebin 2006 Ybor City The Making of a Landmark Town The University of Tampa Press McNamara Sarah 2023 Ybor City Crucible of the Latina South The University of North Carolina Press via Project MUSE Mormino Gary R and George E Pozzetta 1985 The Cradle of Mutual Aid Immigrant Cooperative Societies in Ybor City Tampa Bay History 7 2 1 23 A Centennial History of Ybor City Department of History College of Social and Behavioral Sciences University of South Florida 1985 27 57 37 5 N 82 26 45 5 W 27 960417 N 82 445972 W 27 960417 82 445972 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title La Union Marti Maceo amp oldid 1217486132, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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