PBS special to honor St. Pete’s black pioneers

ST. PETERSBURG – The Boston brothers, David and Archie, recently met with State Representative Daryl Rouson in Tallahassee to discuss their upcoming PBS special entitled “Black Pioneers of the Sunshine City.” Rouson eagerly supports this PBS special and will be assisting the producers to help identify financial support for the upcoming documentary.

“Black Pioneers” will chronicle the history of African American struggles and successes in St. Petersburg. This historical documentary will tell the stories of black men and women, past and present, whose sacrifices contributed to our beloved community we all know today. The targeted airdate will be during Black History Month 2017 on WUSF-TV Tampa/St. Pete.

David, Gibbs High School graduate, will produce the documentary. He previously worked as a producer and director with NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS television networks. His brother Archie, also a Gibbs graduate, is the associative producer. Archie has extensive experience in advertising, design and design education in the greater Los Angeles area.

William Newmon, their childhood friend who also attended Gibbs, will lend his expertise in the set-designing department. He has worked on many popular television shows at Universal Studios and Sony Pictures.  Recently he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Art Directors Guild in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Unlike many other documentaries aired on local and national television, “Black Pioneers” will be a fast-paced and concise one-hour program utilizing historical photos, films, video footage along with music from different eras including the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s and the 90s.

Look for “Black Pioneers of the Sunshine City” on WSUF television during Black History month in 2017. This is one documentary you will not want to miss!

If you have any historical photos you’d like to contribute, please contact The Weekly Challenger at (727) 896-2922.