27-02-2025
Lawmakers differ over location of Florida's Black history museum
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida has a rich and long history involving contributions from its Black residents. There are areas across the state highlighting those struggles and efforts. Some of those key moments are displayed at the Robert W Saunders, Sr Public Library in Tampa. However, there's a push at a larger scale for a central spot to honor and learn about Florida's Black history.
Republican Tom Leek, out of the Jacksonville area, has filed Senate Bill 466 to have The Florida Museum of Black History built in St. Johns County, which is the state's first Black settlement back in the 1700s.
'One of the great things about St. Augustine is its entire tourist culture is built around history. So, when we add museums to Florida, you want a place that it can be viable,' Leek said.
In May 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law creating a task force to find locations. Then, the governor along with the then-state senate and house leaders made appointments to that task force.
'What my bill does is actually codifies what the task force decided and then puts the structure around what the museum will be,' Leek said.
Democratic state Rep. Bruce Antone, out of the Orlando area, is the lawmaker who filed the measure to create that task force. Now, wants a different outcome. He plans to introduce a bill for a museum in Eatonville, north of Orlando, America's oldest incorporated Black community.
'In the midst of Orange County, Florida, which has 1.5 million folks. Their museum is in a place that inaccessible, at least I believe it's inaccessible,' Antone said.
Antone also said his idea of a museum will also focus more on the positives from Florida's Black residents and communities. He also feels his planned museum would get more foot traffic since it's so close to the theme parks and is critical of the task force's selection.
'A city of 15,000, 700 Black folks. It's at least an hour away from Jacksonville,' Antone said.
Antone plans to sell his idea to lawmakers by saying there's room for two museums in the state. Although, it's likely the Republican-led legislature will only move forward with the plan for St. Augustine. The next step, if passed, is for the foundation to start fundraising. Officials in the proposed area have already guaranteed funding for the museum as well.
State documents show Marian Anderson Place in Sarasota was a proposed site. City officials wanted the city chosen because it is known for helping integrate public beaches and it's a spot where hundreds of escaped slaves settled.
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