‘TAMPA TECHNIQUE: THE RISE, DEMISE, AND REMEMBRANCE OF CENTRAL

AVENUE’
PUBLIC REMEMBRANCE OF CENTRAL AVENUE

By Kelly Murray

Tampa is a busy city that celebrates and welcomes home some of the most diverse populations in
the State of Florida. Behind its open arms, this city has a dark past of prejudice and racial
inequality, centering around the notorious area of Central Avenue downtown. In “Tampa
Technique: The Rise, Demise, and Remembrance of Central Avenue”, a history of racial
inequality and injustice is discussed and reflected upon.

This documentary is about Tampa’s past of segregation and the struggle to achieve integration in
the mid twentieth century. Many Tampa natives are interviewed in order to give Central
Avenue’s rich history a voice. The film is named after the “Tampa Technique” that was used in
history to mix black and white leaders in the government to create progress and make
improvements.

One of the most interesting parts of the documentary was the discussion of the action that
occured in the late 1960’s. Central Avenue held riots, sit ins and even the famous case of Martin
Chambers, a black man who was shot and killed by a white police officer. Documentary maker,
Travis Bell PhD, interviewed people of all backgrounds to create consistency with Tampa’s rich
history.

Although this film was centered around interesting past events in Tampa, it seemed to drag on at
times. The images displayed across the screen were riveting and insightful to accompany the
stories being told. On the contrary, during several interviews bypassers can be seen walking
down a hallway in the background which distracts from the important information at hand.

This 54-minute glimpse into the past teaches viewers a history lesson, along with what people
accomplish when they come together.