ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Augustine, a city rich with history, is about to cement its legacy with the establishment of Florida’s inaugural Black history museum. This achievement comes after a long and arduous journey marked by the city’s dark past of racism, competition with other communities and even unexpected detours.
Every story of triumph involves overcoming obstacles, and this one is no different.
“As we were on the interstate, the bus caught fire, I’m talking literally caught fire,” Greg White, a member of the Community Redevelopment Agency recalled.
White and the task force on board the burning bus were pioneers in bringing the museum to that nation’s oldest city. They were traveling to Florida’s capital in April to help the St. Augustine committee make a case for choosing the city to be the home of the Florida Museum of Black History.
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St. Augustine is not just a city with a past; it’s a city with a story. It was the site of the first enslaved Africans brought to the U.S. by the Spanish and home to Fort Mose, the first free Black settlement in the United States. The city also played a significant role in the civil rights movement, with Martin Luther King Jr. marching and fighting for equality.
White, a history buff who lived through segregation, emphasized the importance of remembering the past: “The struggle we can’t never forget our history, good, bad, indifference, the ugly. We have to embrace it and learn from it and then move forward.”
The new museum will be located next to the historic Canright House, a symbol of the city’s tumultuous past. The house, once targeted with gunfire and firebombs when it was believed King would be staying there, sits on the old Florida Memorial University (FMU) campus, a site steeped in history. FMU is leasing 14.5 acres to dedicate to bringing Black history to life and providing jobs through the museum.
The journey to secure the museum was not easy. St. Johns County was selected as the location for the museum after a meticulous selection and scoring process. The Florida Museum of Black History Task Force voted 5-4 in favor of St. Johns County, affirming its top rank for the third time.
St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners Chair Sarah Arnold expressed her enthusiasm.
“We have prevailed. It was a tough fight through very eventful processes. Now, we are excited to move forward and continue building stakeholders.”
Adding to the momentum, Florida Senator Tom Leek shared his perspective on the museum’s significance:
“It is a tremendous opportunity for St. Johns County, really, all of Northeast Florida,” Leek said. “The legislature put together a process a year ago, saying, let’s put together this task force. They’re going to weigh all of the spots that are available in the state, decide what’s best and where the best place to put it, and all of the spots that they picked had merit. But they chose three times to pick St Johns County. And I just think it’s such a blessing for St. Johns County and all of the Augustine area.”
Senator Leek emphasized the importance of the museum’s location.
“If you think about St. Augustine and who your traveler is, who’s your tourist, who comes to St. Augustine, there are people who already inherently have an interest in history, and they’re coming there to experience [it]. So, if you put a museum in an area where people are already traveling to experience history, it has the best opportunity to be viable.”
Reflecting on the journey, White noted, “We come a long way. It’s a journey. It’s beginning steps. There’s continuous steps and never be an ending step. We are part of the journey.”
His sentiment captured the ongoing effort to honor and preserve Black history in St. Augustine.