FLORIDA HUMANITIES AND THE FRIENDS OF THE OCALA LIBRARY PRESENT ★ FLORIDA TALKS

Unravel the intriguing history of the cigar industry in Ocala and the part it played in Cuban independence. Once called Marti City, constituents from Ocala and other cities like Key West, Ybor City and Tampa were keys in Jose Marti’s bid for Cuban independence. Dr. López is Professor of Spanish at the University of Tampa, where he founded and co-directs the Center for José Martí Studies Affiliate. A proud descendant of the founding generation of Cuban cigar workers in Ybor City and West Tampa, Professor López is a scholar of Latin American literature and literary translation. He was awarded the 2019 Louise Loy Hunter Award for Outstanding Faculty Member at the University of Tampa.

Funding for this program was sponsored in part through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the aforementioned entities.