For Juneteenth, travel Tampa’s 46-mile Soul walk detailing Black history
Date Posted: 06/16/2023
TAMPA - Central Avenue was once the hippest place in Tampa.
It's where Ray Charles made his first recording and where Hank Ballard discovered "The Twist," the dance that inspired his song popularized by Chubby Checker.
Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald also regularly performed there. But nothing remains of Central Avenue today.
"So much of the hardscape of the African American community has been wiped out," said Robin Nigh, the city's manager of Arts & Cultural Affairs.
