BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Brevard County is rooted in Black history.

Bruce Van Horn, a history buff and president of Karma Tours Florida, spends a lot of time behind the wheel on the roads of Brevard County to raise awareness of that local Black history.

Van Horn grew up in Woodstock, N.Y., during the civil rights movement. Throughout that historic time in the United States, he developed a passion for sharing the struggles and achievements of African Americans.

So he started Karma Tours to bring that history alive.

“This is a must see on everyone’s tour,” Van Horn says, speaking about the Harry and Harriette Moore Memorial Park and Museum in Mims. “The inception of the civil rights movement, it happened here.”

Harry and Harriette Moore lived in Brevard County decades ago. The civil rights pioneers were committed to registering as many Blacks to vote as they could.

Unfortunately, that and other civil rights activities put a target on the couple’s backs, and they were assassinated on Dec. 25, 1951 — among the first deaths of the budding movement.

Today, a replica of their home stands at the cultural center bearing their name. It gives a glimpse into their life before tragedy struck.

Crystal Harvey, a Howard University graduate, is well-versed in local African American history.

She says Haulover Canal on Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge was once a busy port and was built by slaves in 1852.

“When the citrus growers wanted to ship their crop, that’s when the slave labor was brought in,” Harvey says.

The 2.5-hour tour ends with home cooking at African American-owned restaurant Loyd Have Mercy in Titusville.

Van Horn says it’s an appropriate place to reflect on what tourists have just seen and learned.

“Trying to make amends with the past, how do we correct what was done" he says. "And to me, it’s to support Black owner businesses.”

Karma Tours Florida goes out once a month, but Van Horn says he hopes they will become more frequent.