South of Southside Arts and Humanities Festival

Problem

While many of Tallahassee’s residents are thriving, areas of the city have languished following years of disinvestment and seem to be all but forgotten by the city, county, and their own Tallahassee neighbors. This has introduced a vicious cycle of poverty that permeates through generations and chips away at the vitality of businesses, schools, health care institutions, and housing, driving residents away and dissuading others from living and investing in these areas. Over the years, economic development sprouted in Tallahassee neighborhoods to the north and east, leaving Southside behind. In 1990 the City of Tallahassee and Leon County recognized the increased unemployment and stagnation on Tallahassee’s Southside and vowed to make changes.

Solution

The Soul of Southside Arts & Humanities Festival is an intergenerational festival that celebrates the rich and diverse neighborhood history that exists in Tallahassee’s Southside. The Festival was intentionally programmed to offer innovative events to engage, educate, and inspire the entire community while bringing much-needed foot traffic and exposure to the Southside community. The Festival also served to highlight the inequities and challenges of a community that has been overlooked and under-resourced for too long. This inaugural community-driven event was an overwhelming success and will continue to be a game-changer for Southside Tallahassee and Leon County.