On the southern tip of Lake Okeechobee lies Belle Glade, a city that hides a rich history that details how people arrived here in Florida. Sofia Valiente moved there in 2015 and soon after read works by authors Lawrence E. Will and Zora Neale Hurston. Will painted a picture of the pioneers who developed the area through persistence and foresight, and Hurston gave a voice to the workers who built the Glades with their bare hands. Their writing became Valiente’s framework for exploring the past and looking at its contemporary parallels. In this time capsule, history is present. Roots run deep and the pioneer spirit can still be felt.

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