This story was originally published on Oct. 10, 2026.
The story and writer, Paxton French, won the Florida Scholastic Press Association “Middle School Best of the Best” award in the Off-Campus News Story category.
On a hot September day, JHop scholars got an education on how a once-bustling neighborhood in south St. Petersburg fell silent and nearly vanished.
Mrs. Newman’s social studies classes took a field trip to St. Petersburg’s African American Heritage trail and learned how the historical Deuces neighborhood – located at 22nd Avenue South and 9th Street South – was impacted by external forces, like spatial reorganization and the construction of Interstate 275.
Students walked a two-mile corridor that winds away from JHop and into the Deuces. The trail documents the rise and collapse of the predominantly African American neighborhood with markers detailing the history of the people who lived there.
The area that now is dotted with restaurants, churches, and offices was once the pinnacle of St. Petersburg’s Black community, a hub for nightclubs, shops, and a variety of businesses.
Scholars learned how discrimination affected the people of the Deuces and the economic impact on communities torn apart in the name of progress.
Eighth grader Bronwyn Parke said that going on the trail again helped her better understand the issues the community faced.
“I walked the trail before in fifth grade. This time it deepened my understanding of spatial reorganization and its effects on the people living there,” Parke said.
Eighth grader Zander Ericson enjoyed the trip – his first on the heritage trail – and said that his favorite part was the Elder Jordan statute.
“I learned lot of different things that were built and things that were destroyed,” Ericson said.
He also enjoyed the statue of philanthropist and community leader Elder Jordan. Jordan is best known for creating the Jordan Dance Hall, later known as the Manhattan Casino.
According to Mrs. Newman, state standards required her to schedule this field trip to commence before the end of the calendar year.
