- March 17, 2026
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Rose Solomon says her childhood home on Fifth Street was torn down when it was sold to the fire department.
But Solomon, who is 73, remembers spending time at the Leonard Reid House, which is now an arts and cultural center celebrating its 100th anniversary.
As her mother Mamye Faulk, who taught school with Leonard Reid's daughter Ethel Hayes Reid, was friends with the Reid family, Solomon often visited the house, which was just across the street.
At the time, kids weren't allowed to sit with adults while they were eating, so her cookies and soda would be enjoyed on the porch with some exotic birds. She remembers a scarlet macaw, a blue-and-yellow macaw, and a third, smaller green parrot that was kept in a decorative cage.
She said as Sarasota Jungle Gardens brought a group of parrots to the Reid House on March 12, at an event called Hello Pretty Bird hosted by the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, it brought back memories from that time.
Kids from two local schools had the chance to be entertained by the birds as they performed antics on command, including singing and saying "hello."
Students came from Star Lab and Precious Jewels Academy Learning Centers, while the birds included Moni, a yellow-naped Amazon; Amber, a scarlet macaw; Houdini, a blue-and-yellow macaw, and Marty, a red fronted macaw.
However, there was an additional feathered visitor.
Brian Reid and his girlfriend, Marquetta Frazier, brought along Champ, a monk parakeet they recently acquired, but their reason for being there was a surprising family connection.
Brian Reid hadn't realized his relationship to Leonard Reid until he began asking his mother, Connie King, about their family history, and she began exploring it.
His great grandfather Levi Reid was related to Leonard Reid.
Leonard Reid, the home's original owner, was an early Black pioneer in Sarasota who helped establish Sarasota's first Black community, Overtown, now the Rosemary District.
In 2022, the home was relocated to Newtown, opening as an arts and cultural center in 2024.
Brian Reid said he's glad to know that his family was originally from the area and that it is part of its history.
"I'm so happy to know I'm a part of it because I never was a part of anything so big," he said.
Leonard Reid spent much of his life in the house, with his wife, Eddye, and their two daughters, Ethel Reid Hayes and Viola Reid, who were both known for their work in the community as educators.
Although Solomon doesn't know how Leonard Reid acquired the birds, he is noted for being the right-hand man of John Hamilton Gillespie, the first mayor of Sarasota.
Brian Reid said he was glad for the glimpse into the past that day.
"It's an honor to see that my ancestors had a bird and to be able to see the experience of what they had and what they did because it's always good to know your family history, and I never knew that our history was right here in Sarasota, Florida," he said.
Solomon said although she wasn't fond of the parrots as a child, and a little scared of them, she also remembered their bright colors as they flew down from the perches.
She also said she recognizes the rooms of the home, including where a porch and bedroom were in the past.
"I got a little teary eyed and everything because it brought back memories of that when I was growing up, and me sitting there waiting on my mom and Miss Hayes and Miss Reid, and it just brought back the friendship, the longevity," she said.
According to Vickie Oldham, president and CEO of the SAACC, witnesses have also said the birds would also speak to passersby on the streets.
Solomon said events like this one are important for preserving the area's history for future generations.
"I just want it not just to be our history, but Sarasota history," Solomon said. "All of this is Sarasota history, not just the Newtown community or the Black community, but it's Sarasota history."
