Episode S3:10: Ms. Gussie Baker and Dr. Martha Bireda
Ms. Gussie Peeples Baker, Matriarch of City of Punta Gorda
Martha R. Bireda, Ph.D., Director of the Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture
““They don’t understand who we are” (in reference to newcomers who do not understand and appreciate the special closeness and spirit of shared prosperity and mutual benefit that Punta Gorda residents have historically had with each other)”
Ms. Gussie Peeples Baker, a lifelong resident of Punta Gorda, is a woman whose contributions to the community go without saying. She is considered the Matriarch of our community. She was instrumental in the integration of Charlotte High School, and over the years has contributed to many key community projects, including the revitalization efforts after Hurricane Charley, initiation of the Punta Gorda Block Party, chairing the Punta Gorda Centennial Celebration, providing leadership to the Punta Gorda Historical Society and Punta Gorda History Center, and numerous charitable endeavors. She is a steward of the community’s history; and maintains an important role in guiding the City of Punta Gorda and reminding it of its past and the traditional values of our community. Her mother, the late Ms. Lois Peeples was very close friends with the late Ms. Bernice Russell, the mother of Dr. Martha Bireda. Ms. Baker is the godmother of Dr. Bireda.
Martha R. Bireda, Ph.D., is Director of the Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture, located in Punta Gorda, Florida. For over 30 years, Dr. Bireda has consulted, lectured, and written about social issues related to race, gender, class, power, and culture. Dr. Bireda’s books explore and examine critical issues past and present that impact our global society. She believes that awareness and recognition of the universality of social issues can contribute to the resolution of problems that affect all societies; and confirm our human connectivity. As a Florida Humanities Scholar, Dr. Bireda provides a lecture to historical organizations around the State of Florida entitled: “Punta Gorda: The Little Town That Unity Built”.