Author Topic: Communities big and small vying to be home of Florida Museum of Black History  (Read 15450 times)

thelakelander

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Are we sure we want this state Black history museum......?

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The campus of the segregated-era Havana Northside High School could become the home of Florida's first state-funded Black history museum.

A proposal to use five acres of the campus of the school, 20 miles west of Tallahassee, was among nine accepted during a December meeting of the state task force created to create a Florida Museum of Black History.

The project is a creation of a bill (HB 1441) signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May after the Department of Education released new history standards that teach some enslaved people learned valuable skills while held in captivity.

The measure created a nine-member task force — appointed by DeSantis, House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, all white and Republicans — to recommend how the museum would be set up and what its mission will be.


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Nine communities now seek to host the museum. They are:

Amelia Island
Daytona Beach
Havana
Jackson County
Opa-Locka
Panama City
St. Johns County
St. Petersburg
Sarasota
Each touted their connection to the African American story in Florida.

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The Havana Community Development Corporation (CDC) proposes building the museum on five acres of what was until 1970 a Black-only high school. Northside closed in 1972. 

Havana anchors what was the slave belt of antebellum Florida, where the majority of residents in six counties were enslaved workers, according to the 1860 census.

Harold Knowles, the CDC’s CEO, said the nonprofit envisions a museum where a unique blend of African American and old South Confederacy history is presented “in an atmosphere of objective academic rigor, free of historic emotional overlays.”

The proposal includes space for Confederate statues and memorials that have been removed from public display in recent years.

He told the task force he realized the proposal would generate controversy.

Full article: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2023/12/21/nine-areas-competing-to-be-home-to-new-florida-black-history-museum/71970754007/
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Charles Hunter

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Will the museum show the DeSantis-ized version of Black History? You know, the one where enslaved people benefitted from the skills they learned in their enslavement?

thelakelander

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That's what it sounds like. I was sent a link to the survey a week or two ago. Felt the questions were really silly, in terms of planning for such a space.
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Ken_FSU

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Absolutely next level insanity here.

Genuinely hope it never gets built, if this is what it's going to look like.

Maybe Florida gives the contract to Southeast?

jaxlongtimer

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Seems if a legitimate museum were to be built it should be in LaVilla.  If it gets awarded now but built after DeSantis is gone, it might turn out more appropriate.  Should Jax bank on that and seek the museum? 

Jax has lost out on housing much of Florida's history museums which makes so little sense given Northeast Florida is home to most of Florida's early history, beginning with Native Americans through the Europeans to African Americans to much of the present.

thelakelander

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^Jax already has a museum in the Ritz. It's just super outdated and operated by an event company that doesn't know what they are doing with a museum. No new building is needed. What's needed is a renovation and exhibit update. We don't need state cash for that.
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Tacachale

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Are we sure we want this state Black history museum......?

Quote
The campus of the segregated-era Havana Northside High School could become the home of Florida's first state-funded Black history museum.

A proposal to use five acres of the campus of the school, 20 miles west of Tallahassee, was among nine accepted during a December meeting of the state task force created to create a Florida Museum of Black History.

The project is a creation of a bill (HB 1441) signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May after the Department of Education released new history standards that teach some enslaved people learned valuable skills while held in captivity.

The measure created a nine-member task force — appointed by DeSantis, House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, all white and Republicans — to recommend how the museum would be set up and what its mission will be.


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Nine communities now seek to host the museum. They are:

Amelia Island
Daytona Beach
Havana
Jackson County
Opa-Locka
Panama City
St. Johns County
St. Petersburg
Sarasota
Each touted their connection to the African American story in Florida.

Quote
The Havana Community Development Corporation (CDC) proposes building the museum on five acres of what was until 1970 a Black-only high school. Northside closed in 1972. 

Havana anchors what was the slave belt of antebellum Florida, where the majority of residents in six counties were enslaved workers, according to the 1860 census.

Harold Knowles, the CDC’s CEO, said the nonprofit envisions a museum where a unique blend of African American and old South Confederacy history is presented “in an atmosphere of objective academic rigor, free of historic emotional overlays.”

The proposal includes space for Confederate statues and memorials that have been removed from public display in recent years.

He told the task force he realized the proposal would generate controversy.

Full article: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2023/12/21/nine-areas-competing-to-be-home-to-new-florida-black-history-museum/71970754007/

LOL, this entire thing reads like biting satire. Chef’s kiss.
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thelakelander

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Eatonville emerging as possible Florida African American history museum site

But lawsuit ensnarling the Hungerford land site remains an obstacle

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Eatonville is emerging as a top potential site for a planned Florida African American history museum, even as its efforts threaten to collide with a legal battle over the land that would house the new structure in the historic Black town.

In January, Eatonville Mayor Angie Gardner and town Chief Administrative Officer Demetrius Pressley made a presentation to the state task force that will recommend a location, which then placed Eatonville on a list of 13 cities and counties across the state vying for the museum.

Among the competitors are St. Augustine, OpaLocka, Panama City, St. Petersburg and others. The task force is expected to narrow the list to three potential sites by the end of April.

“We sent out seven criteria and we’re asking the 13 that came to make presentations to respond to the criteria which will include things like infrastructure, the significance of the land as it relates to African American history, the availability of parking for charter buses and tour buses and connections to educational institutions,” said Sen. Geraldine Thompson, the Orlando Democrat who chairs the task force.

Full article: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/02/27/eatonville-emerging-as-possible-florida-african-american-history-museum-site/?utm_email=A44504A49461D54654F9B593FB&lctg=A44504A49461D54654F9B593FB&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.orlandosentinel.com%2f2024%2f02%2f27%2featonville-emerging-as-possible-florida-african-american-history-museum-site%2f&utm_campaign=trib-orlando_sentinel-breaking_news-nl&utm_content=alert
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Charles Hunter

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The article is paywalled. What's the legal issue with the proposed site?

thelakelander

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Weird. I get it, even though I don't have an Orlando Sentinel account. Basically, the Hungerford site was a segregation era school for African Americans in Eatonville. It was donated to the school board prior to desegregation on the account that it would always be used for educational purposed for African American children.

Fast forward to the 21st century. The school has been closed and the school board attempted to sell the land at a major profit to a developer for mixed use development. Community members filed a lawsuit to stop the development and the school board from attempting to sell what they believe should be given back to the Eatonville community. The development proposal ended up being killed but the school board has refused to return the land back to Eatonville and the suit is still ongoing. Now the school board is saying they'll donate some of the property for a Black history museum in Eatonville.....IF the suit against them is dropped.
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thelakelander

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« Last Edit: February 27, 2024, 01:35:46 PM by thelakelander »
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” - Muhammad Ali

Charles Hunter

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Thanks, Lake.

I hope the Hungerford / Eatonville group prevails.

marcuscnelson

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St. Johns County ranks first for Black history museum

https://jaxtoday.org/2024/04/16/st-johns-county-ranked-first-for-black-history-museum/

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St. Johns County has been ranked as the frontrunner for the new Florida Museum of Black History, the county announced Tuesday.

St. Johns was followed by Eatonville/Orange County, Sarasota and Opa-locka.

The Florida Museum of Black History task force invited the county to a special meeting in Tallahassee on Friday to answer questions about its proposal. The top three sites will go to the state for final consideration.
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thelakelander

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Very interesting location in West Augustine.
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” - Muhammad Ali

pierre

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Is this really just some whitewashed African American history museum?