Soulwalk

Tampa Bay History Center's Fred Hearns, Curator of Black History, Welcomes Omega Psi Phi

Soulwalk is an arts and heritage “trail" that tells the rich history of Tampa's Black communities and highlights the diverse, thriving creative community in present-day Tampa.

Soulwalk spans approximately 46 miles and 25 neighborhoods and includes nearly 100 stops that visitors can explore, including public art installations, historic landmarks, museums, cemeteries, and more. The collaborative initiative, with partners such as the Tampa Bay History Center and the University of South Florida, brings fresh insights and opportunities to engage, remember, and explore.

Planning your trip? Below are downloadable maps for each neighborhood along the trail, or download the Bloomberg Connects App for a mobile experience.

Central Avenue & The Scrub

Dobyville

Downtown

East Tampa & Sulphur Springs

West Tampa & Roberts City

Ybor City

The goal of Soulwalk is to strengthen Tampa neighborhoods and contribute to building communities through storytelling, community engagement, and documentation to complement and elevate a sense of community.

Visitors can traverse the trail on foot, bike, or by car and can access more information about each of the existing locations through an app that is still in development. Community events and educational opportunities will take place throughout the year to announce new additions to the trail, raise awareness, and receive community input.

Bloomberg Connects Logo

Interested in a mobile experience? Grab your smartphone and download the Bloomberg Connects App to get descriptions of every site, walking routes and more. Once the app is on your phone, simply search for Tampa Soulwalk to begin. Additionally, view the full GIS map below.

Soulwalk Full Map - GIS map

Curious about what you'll learn about along the Soulwalk Trail? Here are some highlights of some of the spots...

Neighborhood: Central Ave & The Scrub / Perry Harvey, Sr. Park

Neighborhood: Central Ave & The Scrub / Oaklawn Cemetery's Remarkable Tales

Neighborhood: Downtown / Officers Frank Gray, Rufus Lewis, James Dukes, and Clarence Nathan played a pivotal role in the advancement of many deserving Black officers when they filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against the Tampa Police Department for discrimination. When the EEOC investigation was completed in 1976, the City of Tampa was cited for numerous violations of discriminations. This artwork by Pep Rally, located at the Tampa Police Headquarters, is a celebration of the Fearless Four for taking a stand for the rights of others. The City implemented fairer practices and policies to ensure all minority officers and employees citywide would have have access to equal opportunities as their white counterparts. VIDEO

Neighborhood: Tampa Heights / Buffalo Soldiers in Tampa in 1898

Neighborhood: East Tampa & Sulphur Springs / Mural by Nneka Jones at Gwen Miller Community Center

Contribute to Soulwalk

If you have stories about growing up in Tampa or photos to share, visit send them via email to Soulwalk@Tampa.gov or fill out this form.

If you are interested in getting involved through sponsorship, contact Soulwalk@Tampa.gov to learn more.

Soulwalk is overseen and maintained by the City of Tampa, in partnership with the Tampa Bay History Center, Visit Tampa Bay, the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa, Hillsborough Community College, and Hillsborough County.

The City of Tampa’s Soulwalk has curated and connected a variety of the city’s historic sites into one continuous “trail” for people to better understand Tampa’s history and communities of color. Like the historic trail, the Soulwalk cookbook companion will curate recipes and other points of interest into one cohesive journey through the hearts and bellies of Tampa’s community of color. The cookbook is currently in development.