Leon County Government ◼︎ Photography
Sergeant Major Jarvis Rosier, President of the Colored Troops Education Project
On May 20, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was read from the steps of the Knott House, now a museum in the heart of Leon County, Fla. Located on the corner of a busy intersection in town, buses rumbled past this historic site as we filmed an explanation of our local history.
During the filming at the Knott House, Jarvis Rosier stopped for a breath during his explanation of Emancipation Day in Florida. President of the Colored Troops Education Project, Sergeant Major Rosier’s work honors African American Union soldiers who fought and led the charge in the Civil War Battle of Natural Bridge. Throughout the filming, Sergeant Major Rosier stopped speaking in moments like these to allow the noise of traffic to pass before continuing.
Sergeant Major Rosier’s video was used as an introduction to Leon County’s panel discussion about Florida Emancipation Day on May 20, 2021. In this year's Created Equal, the sixth event of its kind, Leon County highlighted both local and statewide historians for a discussion on Florida’s history of enslavement, emancipation, and how we continue to stretch towards freedom today.
This photo was used throughout a promotional campaign for the event which brought 500 households from across Florida and the U.S. to view the program on Zoom and Facebook.
Edits were made to the photo using Adobe Photoshop.
About Leon County
Leon County was named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon. He was the first European to explore Florida in 1513 in search of the “Fountain of Youth” and named the state after the Spanish word for “flowery.”
Leon County is home to Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, which was established in 1824. Legislative and executive offices, the State House and Senate chambers are located here. As a political subdivision of the state, the County is guided by an elected, seven-member Board of County Commissioners.
Five members of the Board are elected to serve specific commission districts and two members are elected at-large. Leon County is a Council-Manager form of government, and the County Administrator is appointed by the Board to oversee all functions, directives and policies. Florida Statutes, Chapter 125, establishes the powers and duties of the County Commission and the County Administrator. As of November 12, 2002, Leon County is governed by a Home Rule Charter.
Leon County Statistics
► Population: 293,582
▹ 34% unincorporated
▹ 66% within city limits
► Area (Square Miles): 702
► Established: 1824
► Charter Date: 2002
► County Seat: Tallahassee
► Median Household Income: $62,500
► Districting: 5 Single Districts / 2 At-Large
► Median Age: 31
Source: The United States Census Bureau
