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    • History ErasedSome history doesn’t survive on purpose. This category documents the stories, places, and communities that have been removed from the official record, by policy, by politics, by neglect, or by design. Where original photographs, documents, and archives have been destroyed, suppressed, or made inaccessible, Properly South Florida uses AI-generated illustrations to reconstruct what was lost and make the record visible again. Every AI-generated image in this category is labeled as such. The absence of documentation is part of the story.
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You are viewing:Properly South Florida > Stories > Culture Then & Now
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Culture Then & Now

From old Florida grit to modern South Florida gloss.
How history echoes through today’s brunch culture, nightlife, art scenes, and influencer paradise.

The Gay Mecca That Wasn’t Always: How Wilton Manors Became WilMa

2026-06-16
Culture Then & NowPlaces With a Past
By: John Payne
On: June 16, 2026

Two decades ago, if you were trying to sell a house in Wilton Manors, you didn’t say Wilton Manors. You said northeast Fort Lauderdale. That is not a marketing flourish. That is what former mayor John Fiore remembered doing, because outside the city limits almost nobody knew the place existed,Continue Reading

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BLK Magazine and the Archive on Sistrunk Boulevard

2026-06-14
Culture Then & NowHistory Erased
By: John Payne
On: June 14, 2026

BLK magazine was the first Black gay magazine in America. All 41 issues are archived at the African-American Research Library on Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Most people in South Florida have no idea.Continue Reading

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