A voice for untold stories
Vickie Oldham, M.F.A.
Preserving History. Inspiring
Communities. Moving Audiences.
Vickie Oldham is a nationally recognized cultural leader, storyteller, and the President & CEO of Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC). Her work is driven by a powerful mission: to preserve untold stories and transform them into experiences that educate, inspire, and connect communities. As the visionary behind Newtown Alive, she has led one of the most impactful cultural preservation projects in Florida—bringing the rich history of Newtown, one of Sarasota’s oldest African American communities, to life.
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A Voice for Untold Stories
Vickie Oldham, M.F.A.
Vickie Oldham, M.F.A., is a nationally recognized cultural leader, preservation advocate, and dynamic public speaker whose work has helped redefine how communities preserve and experience history.
As President & CEO of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, Vickie has dedicated her career to elevating overlooked stories, amplifying community voices, and creating experiences that bridge generations through culture and education.
A Recognized Voice in Cultural Tourism
The Vision Behind Newtown Alive
Vickie Oldham, M.F.A., is a nationally recognized cultural leader, preservation advocate, and dynamic public speaker whose work has helped redefine how communities preserve and experience history.
As President & CEO of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, Vickie has dedicated her career to elevating overlooked stories, amplifying community voices, and creating experiences that bridge generations through culture and education.
The initiative includes:
- A published historical book and comprehensive research report
- Historical markers placed throughout the community
- Guided trolley and walking tours
- Oral history preservation projects
- A documentary short film
- A traveling museum exhibition
- A mobile app and digital storytelling platform
- A podcast series amplifying untold community stories
Through this work, Vickie has demonstrated how history can become interactive, accessible, and transformational for communities of every generation.
Why Audiences Connect With Vickie
More Than a Speaker — An Experience
Vickie Oldham doesn’t just speak about history—she brings it to life. Her keynote presentations blend:
- Powerful storytelling
- Historical and cultural insight
- Community-centered leadership
- Real-world examples of impact
- Inspiration rooted in lived experience
- Thought-provoking conversations about legacy and identity
Whether speaking to educators, nonprofit organizations, civic leaders, tourism professionals, corporations, or community groups, Vickie creates moments that stay with audiences long after the event ends. Attendees leave inspired not only by the stories they hear—but by the deeper understanding of how culture, memory, and community shape the future.
Speaking Topics
Keynotes That Inspire Action
Preserving Untold Stories
How communities can safeguard history before it disappears—and why storytelling matters now more than ever.
The Power of Cultural Tourism
Exploring how heritage tourism creates economic growth, community pride, and deeper visitor experiences.
Community as Legacy
How local voices, oral histories, and shared experiences shape the future of neighborhoods and cities.
Leadership Through Storytelling
How authentic storytelling builds connection, trust, and lasting impact in organizations and communities.
Transforming History Into Experience
Lessons from building Newtown Alive into a nationally recognized cultural initiative.
Vickie leads a multi-disciplinary team of scholars that include historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, volunteer researchers to preserve, document and elevate Black history.
Newtown Alive — Vickie Oldham created and led Newtown Alive, a comprehensive cultural preservation initiative documenting the history, people, businesses, and legacy of Sarasota’s historic African American community through research, oral histories, tours, markers, exhibits, and storytelling.
Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC) — Vickie Oldham founded and serves as President & CEO of SAACC, leading efforts to preserve, celebrate, and share Sarasota’s African American history and culture while advancing the development of a permanent arts, culture, and history center.
Looking for Angola — Vickie Oldham founded and directed this multidisciplinary historical research project, bringing together archaeologists, historians, and community members to uncover and preserve the story of Angola, a lost 19th-century African American maroon community on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Book Vickie Oldham for Your Next Event
Whether speaking to educators, community leaders, nonprofits, or corporate audiences, Vickie delivers presentations that resonate long after the event ends. Bring a voice of history, culture, and impact to your stage.
It is something we carry forward.
Request Booking Information Today
Bring a voice of culture, history, leadership, and community impact to your next event. Now accepting keynote speaking engagements, panels, workshops, and special appearances.
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Vickie Oldham, President, Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, Inc. (SAACC) Founder, Newtown Alive
Visit Sarasota County 2020 Voice of Tourism
P.O. Box 686
Sarasota, FL 34230
“I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.