TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV\/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – John Gilmore Riley was born into slavery in 1857 with no formal education, but went on to build a legacy that continues to touch lives more than a century later.<\/p>\n
As the United States celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, WCTV and its parent company, Gray Media, are taking a moment to celebrate our local history. Our \u201cWe The People\u201d<\/a> series commemorates and honors local history in the Big Bend and South Georgia.<\/p>\n According to Tallahassee historian Althemese Barnes, Riley became a teacher despite having no schooling himself. He worked in three counties across the Panhandle before becoming principal at the original Lincoln High School \u2014 the first Leon County school built for newly freed slaves and their descendants. He served in that role for 33 years.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen John Riley was freed from slavery, he went on to upgrade the skills he had been able to acquire in that system,\u201d Barnes said. \u201cWhen you serve as a principal for 33 years, you\u2019ve touched a lot of lives.\u201d<\/p>\n More from WCTV\u2019s We The People series:<\/p>\n Riley bought several properties in Tallahassee, including his home that still stands in the shadow of the state capitol more than 100 years later. Today, it serves as a museum dedicated to Riley and African American history during his lifetime.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s rare that you find a house in 1890 that\u2019s still standing. What is this, 2026, as it was at that time,\u201d Barnes said.<\/p>\n The museum is the founding member of the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, which now receives some state money to pay for resources. The funding reflects how Riley worked with politicians during his lifetime.<\/p>\n \u201cRiley was one of those Blacks who worked across the aisle, as they say today. But he collaborated quite well in circles with the white politicians,\u201d Barnes said.<\/p>\n