West St. Augustine community ‘overjoyed’ to be recommended to house Florida Museum of Black History
West St. Augustine is the recommended home for the planned Florida Museum of Black History.
The recommendation from the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force was announced Tuesday and excitement among community members is growing now that the major hurdle has been crossed.
“To say we’re excited is an understatement. We’re overjoyed,” Greg White said.
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For White, a longtime community activist and senior advisor for the West St. Augustine Community Redevelopment Area, the news hits home.
He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the former grounds of Florida Memorial College in the 60s.
“We have to capture the movement. This is the only city that Martin Luther King was arrested in. And you see the iconic photo with Dr. Martin Luther King in the window with his finger pointing to where the bullet came through the window, or you go to St. Paul Church, you go to St. Mary’s Church, you go to First Baptist Church,” White said. “He actually stood in that pulpit, and we actually heard him speak at those three venues, and we actually participated with him as he marched around the plaza. We gotta capture it.”
The proposed site for the museum is just down the road from the grounds of the old campus on a 14-acre undeveloped plot of land.
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Dwala Willis, Vice Chair of the CRA, argued the museum will not only serve to educate people about Florida’s rich Black history but will also promote economic development in West St. Augustine.
“It will create jobs. It will create a place to be. Plus, it will connect us to the other side of the tracks downtown with the historic component,” Willis said.
But there are still more steps ahead before the $100-$200 million museum becomes a reality.
St. Johns County Commission Chair Sarah Arnold (District 2) explained a feasibility study needs to be conducted first.
Then the task force must submit its final report to the Governor and state legislature by July 1st.
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“From there, we’re going to be seeing what they do and what they decide in terms of funding. We’re waiting on what the allocation number is going to be,” Arnold said.
But advocates like White see a clear path forward and believe it’s just a matter of seeing the vision through.
“I cannot wait for the groundbreaking ceremony. We gotta bring it home. We got to bring it home,” White said.
In the end, the Florida Legislature will have to sign off on the task force’s recommendation and pass legislation to green light the start of construction.
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