The stories of people of color, immigrants, and women are woven into every fiber in the fabric of Pensacola’s history.
About John Sunday
Born the son of a slave in 1838, John Sunday fought for the Union in the Civil War before returning home and becoming one of Pensacola’s first black state legislators and city council members.
Sunday helped build the city we know today, establishing a successful construction business that erected hundreds of homes and buildings, many of which still stand. By the first decade of the 20th century, Sunday was one of the wealthiest black men not just in the South, but in the nation.
“It’s disappointing that John Sunday is treated as a footnote in Pensacola’s history … in reality he’s an entire chapter.”
Teníadé Broughton, President and Founding Member
Our Story
The John Sunday Society was established in 2016 to fight to save Sunday’s historic 1901 home in downtown Pensacola. While we weren’t successful, our efforts sparked a new conversation about historic preservation.
Now, we’re relaunching with a broader mission: to raise awareness of Pensacola’s diverse and multicultural history and to advocate for the preservation of Pensacola’s historic places and spaces.