Latest news with #FloridaMuseumofBlackHistoryTaskForce
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Eatonville back in the running as proposed amendment rekindles hope for black history museum
The nation's oldest incorporated Black municipality may soon have another opportunity to host a Black History Museum. 'I'm really praying that they will have a change of mind and a lot of us have been praying that it will come back here,' said Glenn Paige, Owner of Blessed By The Best Barber and Beauty Salon. Tuesday, State Representative Bruce Antone amended Senate Bill 466, aiming to designate Eatonville, along with St. Johns County and Opa-Locka, as potential sites for the museum. The amendment seeks to rectify previous decisions and ensure a more inclusive selection process. 'My museum would be 30% dedicated to the history of Florida, and the other 70% would be dedicated to black history, meaning we're going to remember the past, but we're going to celebrate the future,' said Antone. Antone's amendment comes after a contentious decision by the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force, which previously selected an undeveloped site in St. Johns County over Eatonville despite the rich history and readiness to host the museum. Orange County wanted to build a facility that included a performing arts center and a hotel off Interstate 4 and argued the former Hungerford School site was best poised for success. St. Johns County leaned heavily on its history and the heavily weighted scoring to rise above concerns that its rural location was far from anything else and wouldn't be able to sustain a major museum. 'St. Augustine was supposed to do a feasibility study, which they had not done. So, they don't know whether a museum can sustain itself in St. Augustine, but it can certainly sustain itself in Orange County,' said Antone. Antone said the amendment is not to take away from St. Johns County but to more locations that work for everyone. Senate Bill 466 was passed in the Senate back in April and sent to the House in messages. The amendment would strike the language in the bill that only creates a Black History Museum in St. Johns County. It would then add language to create three Florida Museum of History locations in St. Johns County, Opa-Locka, and Eatonville. The amendment would also include The Department of State partnering with each location, the locations must conduct a financial feasibility study, and budgets must match on a one-to-one basis with any combination of local government funding, grants, or philanthropic contributions not exceeding $75 million over 5 years. For Eatonville, this development is more than a legislative change but an opportunity to celebrate and preserve its unique heritage. The establishment of the museum would not only honor the town's legacy but serve as an educational and cultural hub for future generations. Residents said placing the museum on the site of the former Hungerford School would help the town thrive economically. State Rep Antone said Orlando's tourist power marks Eatonville as a viable place for the museum. 'The town of Eatonville and Orange County offers a much better prospect for a museum that is able to sustain itself. Meaning enough money would come in just from the admission because the feasibility study for Orange County said that maybe half a million people would visit the museum. If you charge $10, that's 5 million dollars per year that could be used for operational management,' said Antone. The proposed amendment aims to rectify this by acknowledging multiple historically significant locations, giving Eatonville another chance. Resident said the move would be a step toward inclusivity and recognition of the diverse narratives that constitute Florida's Black history. 'We have a lot of hope in Eatonville,' said Paige. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Geraldine Thompson remembered for her ‘perfect blend of grace and strength'
Sens. Jason Pizzo and Jim Boyd present Geraldine Thompson's family with a resolution honoring the late senator during a memorial service on March 13, 2025. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) Sen. Geraldine Thompson was remembered by her colleagues Thursday as an advocate for equality, justice, Black history, and, as Senate President Ben Albritton put it, as a 'perfect blend of grace and strength.' Senators sat together during the second week of session to remember Thompson, who died in office a month ago at the age of 76 following complications from knee surgery. State Sen. Geraldine Thompson dead at 76 Thompson was widely known for her commitment to African American history, serving as chair of the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force, campaigning to preserve the Wells'Built Hotel in Orlando as a museum, and writing 'Black America: Orlando, Florida,' a history of Orlando's Black community. Sen. Darryl Rouson recalled Thompson for her drive for equity. 'Sen. Thompson epitomized Black history,' Rouson said. 'Throughout her life, she worked to make things easier, more equitable for all. While she was teaching our past and helping preserve the stories of Black history, she was brightening our future. … It is not lost on me or others that God called her home untimely during Black History month.' Thompson's family, including her husband Emerson, were in the chamber for the service. Albritton noted he wore a purple tie Thursday to emphasize the blend between red and blue. 'She was the perfect blend of grace and strength, perfect blend, and knew how to use each of those to make better the lives of other people,' Albritton said. Sen. Don Gaetz recalled the attire Thompson would wear in the chamber, taking on the personalities of notable people in history. 'When she donned a uniform and she took on the personality of a heroic African American historical figure, you believed that that's who it was,' Gaetz said. 'You believed it. And I remember one time she took on the persona of an African American aviatress who made history, and who's one of the solo flyers. And I didn't know the story. I didn't know until she told it in the first person, I can tell you that I believe that Geraldine Thompson could fly, and I still do,' Gaetz said. Rouson offered the idea of her meeting those figures she portrayed in the afterlife. 'I'm confident in knowing that she's at peace with our God and has received her crown of glory,' Rouson said. 'I imagine her communing with the spirits of those she studied so fervently and taught us about so passionately.' Former President Barack Obama wrote a letter to the Thompson family. 'Geraldine was a model of the best kind of public service, the kind that's driven by a heart for justice that builds up communities, and that isn't swayed by flattery or the pursuit of power,' Sen. Tracie Davis said, reading the letter. 'I have no doubt that Geraldine's trailblazing legacy will live on through all those she impacted during her time on this earth. While there are no words that can ease your grief, I hope that the support of your friends and loved ones and the outpouring from your community brings you some comfort as you navigate the days ahead.' Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith served with Thompson in the House and Senate. He recalled the late senator supporting diversity and inclusion. 'Personally, to me, like for so many of you, she was a friend, a friend who was there with her daughter Elizabeth for Jerick and my wedding; she was an ally who rode shotgun in a convertible with us in colorful attire during a recent Orlando Pride parade to show her support for diversity and inclusion,' Smith said. Sen. Jason Pizzo, whose desk in the chamber is next to Thompson's, recalled her ability to earn the respect of all people and the way she drew people's attention. 'I remember talking to your wife,' Pizzo said, addressing Emerson Thompson. 'We were halfway through a conversation about something. I said, 'Geraldine you could me the nutritional facts off the side of a Cheerios box, and it just has that gravitas.'' The Orlando lawmaker's first legislative term was nearly 20 years ago, when she was elected to the House in 2006. Six years later, she was elected to the Senate. Following an unsuccessful congressional run in 2016, she returned to the House in 2018 and to the Senate in 2022. Thompson attended Miami-Dade Community College, the University of Miami, and Florida State University. She was a teacher in Orange County before starting a 24-year career as an administrator at Valencia Community College. Gov. Ron DeSantis directed flags to fly at half staff at the Capitol and in Orange County on Thursday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
