When a community is inclusive and celebrates one another’s cultures, that is when it can grow to its full potential. Greater Gainesville’s growth shows no sign of stopping, thanks to the diverse citizens who call it home. GG has a multitude of attractive qualities and opportunities, creating a richly diverse population of residents. The bustling college town is home to an array of individuals from cities across the globe, who all come together in a vibrant tapestry. The region offers both intimate, safe spaces for community members and large-scale events for everyone to celebrate throughout the year.
The First Residents
The name Alachua translates to sink, referring to a dip in the land or a sinkhole. This is a word in the Timucuan language, spoken by the Potano people who were the region’s first natives.
Native Americans’ heritage is still celebrated today. Collections from archaeological sites preserve their significance at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Sites still exist on the UF campus today, including the Timucua Burial Mound near UF Law School. A plaque commemorates remnants that were excavated in the 1970s.
Black Heritage
As of 2019, Gainesville’s population is 21.5% Black and an incredibly strong facet of the local community. The Cultural Arts Coalition promotes local Black art and culture, offers educational programs and preserves the Black legacy of Gainesville. They proudly host the 5th Avenue Arts Festival, a street festival that has been showcasing cultural history through art and performance since 1979.
The Greater Gainesville Chamber launched the Inclusive Gainesville initiative in 2021, which promotes equitable economic development and inclusion. In addition, the Gainesville Black Professionals have connected business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs since 2016. Their Movers and Shakers Mixers events are a wonderful place to connect. The annual Leadership Conference & Expo leaves professionals inspired to excel.
University of Florida’s Association of Black Alumni, or ABA, boasts seven chapters in three states. As advocates for UF alumni, students and the Black UF community, they play an integral role in GG. The ABA hosts an annual student recruitment conference, as well as a reunion. Since 2020 the Green Family Achievement has been awarded to accomplished and academically successful students at the reunion to increase support and grow diversity at UF.
The longest-running Miami-based world music festival, Afro Roots Fest, makes a stop in Gainesville every year. The event features UF performers such as the Afro Pop Ensemble and the Pazeni Sauti Africa choir. It is a celebration of African culture, taking place throughout the city. Accessibility is at the forefront of Afro Roots Fest, and several performances are free to the public.
The A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center in Gainesville is a newly renovated facility that showcases rotating exhibits about civil rights, and it also lectures and films about Black culture and life. Upgrades to the space include the creation of a brick courtyard with built-in seating for patio concerts. The center operates in partnership with the City of Gainesville and the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network.
The center’s namesake, Allen Quinn Jones, was an early 20th century local educator. Today, visitors can view photographs and artifacts of the era preserved at the center. It operates in partnership with the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency, City of Gainesville and the FAAHPN. For information, visit aqjmuseum.org.
Cultura Latina
Like many cities in Florida, Gainesville has a dynamic Hispanic population. The Latina Women’s League is an all-women nonprofit committed to preserving Latinx culture. They offer community service projects, including free citizen preparation and English language classes.
The Latina’s Women League provides mentoring and advocacy, as well as a forum for Latina women to share their experiences.
The Latin American Business Alliance, or LABA, work tirelessly to empower the Hispanic business community in Greater Gainesville. Their networking and Lunch and Learn events address common business challenges like applying for SBA loans or doing taxes, bringing in experts to assist.
The Asian Community
The India Cultural and Education Center hosts the annual India Fest in the spring. This family-friendly event at Bo Diddley Plaza is a beautiful display of Indian culture, expressed through food, fashion, music, dancing and children’s activities.
In addition to India Fest, the ICEC sponsor and organize free health education and career guidance with UF faculty and staff. They host other cultural events including dance programs, lectures and youth group celebrations.
The Huagen Chinese School operates on Saturdays, teaching Mandarin to more than 100 students. In addition to language classes, their staff of parent and college student volunteers offer classes in art, dancing, chess, Tai Chi, calligraphy and more.
UF organizations such as Chinese American Student Association and UF’s Health Educated Asian Leaders celebrate Chinese and Asian culture and increase awareness throughout the Gainesville community with their inclusivity. Many of their endeavors are philanthropic, including both organizations’ efforts to volunteer and collect donations for worthy causes.
Pride in Greater Gainesville
In 2020, the Human Rights Campaign named Gainesville one of the most LGBTQIA+ inclusive cities in the state. Organizations like the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida and TranQuility, a local transgender community group, are what catapult it to the top.
The PCCNCF proudly hosts the city’s largest events, including the annual Pride Festival. They provide the LGBTQIA+ community with health resources, meet-ups and even literature at the Audre Lorde Library. The PCCNCF and TranQuility co-host a free, all-ages Pride Prom in June. Monthly occurring events include women’s movie night, gay movie night and trans movie night.
Calling all theatre geeks: the Gainesville Fine Arts Association hosts Theater Connect for LBGTQIA+ adults weekly. This free improv group is a safe space to meet like-minded individuals, be creative and have fun.
UF Health’s Youth Gender Program is a wonderful asset to transgender and non-conforming youth and their families. They offer services for social and medical transitioning to patients and resources for their parents to encourage building support.
Friends in Faith
The Jewish community in GG is well represented by several organizations.
The Jewish Council of North Central Florida regularly sponsors community events and partners with local charities for their annual Mitzvah Day, an international event where Jewish people gather in synagogues and community centers to collect goods for the needy and engage in acts of kindness.
The JCNCF also offer community grants and scholarships and host an annual Jewish Film Festival, which is free to UF Students.
Also on campus, UF Hillel brings all kinds of support for Jewish Gators. There is even a facility dedicated to Jewish students, the Lubavitch Chabad Jewish Student & Community Center. UF Hillel employs students in fields including hospitality and administration, sends care packages with free matzo ball soup to students who are ill and leads efforts to combat antisemitism. UF Hillel also brings Jewish students and their families together for events in the spring and summer.
Gainesville is home to North Central Florida’s largest Islamic center, the Hoda Center, located downtown. In addition to hosting daily prayers and Friday prayers and halaqa, the Hoda Center also has a Sunday School and the Rahma Mercy Clinic, which provides free, basic health care.
The Islamic Center of Gainesville is a beacon for Greater Gainesville’s Muslim community. They are the go-to resource for services, Sunday School and even Halal restaurants. Their e-library and New Muslim Guide are free online resources for anyone curious about the Islamic faith.
Biz Spotlight on the Gainesville Chamber’s 2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Business of the Year: Infotech
The diversity of Greater Gainesville is supported by organizations and businesses who create a welcome mat for every individual who joins the community. Infotech has shown a long-standing commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts not only for their own employees, but also setting an example for the community at-large. They were named the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Business of the Year in 2019 and 2021, the only business to earn this recognition twice.
“A commitment to DEI is a commitment to people. At Infotech, we celebrate our people for who they are and empower each individual to share their unique lens and experiences with others. Infotech has always invested in a culture of connection for inclusion. We meet our people where they are and encourage them to both elevate their individual voices and lean in to understand their colleagues’ lens. This means a constant recommitment to growing in our diversity and inclusion efforts, creating paths to knowledge and space for continued connection and sense of belonging. Our goal is not just to ensure this is present at Infotech but to empower our people to bring these efforts to their communities.”
— Tara Blythe, Chief People Officer
To learn more about Infotech’s diversity and inclusion efforts, visit infotechinc.com/diversityandinclusion.
By Jensen Taylor