Sunday, I arrived back in Tampa from a weekend packed full of Key West archiving, exploring, and connecting! Darlene, the president of Key West NOW, welcomed me, showed me around, helped arrange my lodging, and made sure my weekend was a success. I’m so grateful for all of her support and hospitality!
Thursday, I flew into Key West, had dinner with Darlene, and visited Stacey, who generously gave me several free passes to experience different activities around the island. After settling into the apartment where I was staying, I headed out for the Ghosts and Gravestones Trolley Tour. The tour took me all over the island, where I got to see many interesting sites and learn about Key West’s history. It was really well done and was a great way to start my visit.
Friday morning, I hosted our first recording session at the Key West Library. I recorded oral histories with Darlene, Liz, and Dave, who have all been active members of the chapter for more than 10 years. Each of them shared incredible insight into Key West NOW, the chapter’s history, and how its work has evolved over the years.
Afterward, Darlene and I met with the new Key West Mayor, Sam Kaufman, to connect and talk about how we can work together to uplift women and other marginalized people in Key West. He was very welcoming and had lots of ideas and plans for the community. I appreciate that he took the time to meet with us and was excited to hear about the work Key West NOW is doing.
Later that day, I met with Sheri to record her oral history. Her testimony focused on her best friend, Coney Gilbert, the former president of Key West NOW. Hearing Sheri talk about Coney and their friendship offered a really special glimpse into the people and relationships that have shaped the chapter over the years. These are exactly the kinds of stories we want to preserve through the Florida NOW Oral History Archive.
Friday night, I walked to the bookstore to pick up The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, one of our upcoming Anti-Racist Learning Book Club selections. From there, I walked to Amigos Tortilla Bar, picked up dinner to go, and took it to the beach. I spent the evening reading and watching the sunset.
Saturday morning, I went to La Creperie French Cafe for breakfast and explored the surrounding streets. The area was full of people and music, and I sat for a while at two different places, reading and listening to live music.
Later that afternoon, I went to the Key West NOW Women’s Forum and met with members of the chapter. There were three fabulous speakers, a Q&A, and a light lunch, and the room was packed. It was wonderful to see so many people come together and to spend more time with the members of Key West NOW.
After the forum, I rode the Conch Train and explored more of the town before ending my evening at Sunset Pier. I was so excited to discover that they offer vegan key lime pie, and it was absolutely delicious! The live music and sunset made for a relaxing end to the day. I explored a little more afterward, stopping by a place packed with people salsa dancing to music, before heading back for the night.
Sunday morning, I went snorkeling! I saw interesting coral and fish, and even managed to get seaweed stuck in my hair. Afterward, I packed up, said goodbye to Darlene, and flew back to Tampa.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to travel around Florida and document the history of our chapters. It has been extremely meaningful to learn more about the place, people, and experiences that have shaped Key West NOW, and I’m honored to help preserve these stories for future generations of feminists.
Thank you to Darlene, Sheri, Liz, Dave, Stacey, and everyone at Key West NOW for making this such a memorable visit. I can’t wait to go back and visit Key West NOW again!
I am currently working on downloading and transcribing those recordings, so they will be available in the near future. Reach out to me directly to schedule a chapter visit at kaitlyncomms@gmail.com.
