A proposal that would move forward with creating a Florida Museum of Black History in St. Johns County drew support from a second Senate committee Monday but awaits action in the House.
The Governmental Oversight and Accountability approved a proposal (SB 308), filed by Sen. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, that would recognize the designation of St. Johns County for the Florida Museum of Black History. The Senate unanimously passed a similar bill during the 2025 session, but the House did not approve it. Lawmakers created a task force in 2023 to provide recommendations for a Black history museum.
The task force eventually recommended putting the museum on a site west of St. Augustine that formerly housed Florida Memorial University. Other sites were considered in Eatonville and Opa-locka. An identical House bill (HB 525) has not been heard as lawmakers are in the third week of this year’s legislative session. The proposal would set up a 13-member board of directors for the museum.
Raymond Royer says
More needs to be done in Florida than just an historical Museum.
Deborah Coffey says
Too many elected racists in Tallahassee. It probably won’t pass the House again. Of course, if they could limit all Black history to one museum, they might allow it, especially since they got it removed from history books in schools. I mean, weren’t all those slaves blessed by their owners to learn real skills? /s
Atwp says
If it pass the house that will be a surprise to me. We will see what happens. If they keep African American history out of the classrooms why build a museum? It will be ok to build museums and monuments for another group of people, you know the, you all fill in the blank.
Skibum says
Just waiting for the inevitable whine from the maga white nationalist kristians who will be upset with the plan to even have the state approve funding for a Florida Museum of Black History. They will undoubtably be calling for a white history museum too – you know, because America doesn’t have enough museums that tell the history of non-minorities.
BillC says
The Second Amendment and good ol’ Patrick Henry. “Give me liberty or give me death”.
Henry expressed significant fears regarding the potential for slave revolts, where the Southern states relied heavily on slave labor and were apprehensive about the possibility of insurrections. Henry and other Southern leaders worried that a strong central government could disarm state militias, which were crucial for maintaining control over enslaved populations. They believed that if Congress had the power to regulate militias, it could undermine their ability to suppress slave uprisings. This fear was a driving force behind their support for the Second Amendment, which was framed as a means to ensure that states could maintain armed militias for their defense.
Thus: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”