The Harlem Academy had a rich tradition as the first African American school in Hillsborough County. It started as a school known as Tampa School #2, built by the federal government’s Freedman’s Bureau in 1871. The two-story Harlem Academy was built in 1889, replacing Tampa School #2. Finally, Harlem Academy was built at the corner of Harrison and Morgan streets in downtown in 1910. The school, which became known as “The Mother of African American Schools,” closed in 1964.

Many of Tampa’s most accomplished African American leaders attended the Harlem Academy, and alumni have kept in contact with each other to help keep the legacy of Harlem Academy alive.

On February 26, 2009, dozens of Harlem Academy alumni and their families attended a dedication ceremony to place a marker at the former site of the Academy, and a reception at the Raymond O. Shelton School Administrative Center. A documentary, containing interviews with some Harlem Academy alumni, was made of the event.

This agenda item is for recognition and has no financial impact on the district.