The Tampa Bay area is reportedly getting its first museum dedicated to celebrating Black history.
Announced Tuesday before Juneteenth, the newest museum will be part of a collaboration between the Tampa Bay History Center and the Tampa Housing Authority. According to the Tampa Bay Times, it will reportedly be located at what was once the former St. James Episcopal Church. The church was recently restored by the Tampa Housing Authority in a $2 million project.
Although specific details haven’t been publicly confirmed, the museum, curated by the workers at the Tampa Bay History Center alongside program director Ashley Morrow, will cover a variety of topics throughout Black history.
Black music, food, fashion, neighborhoods, churches and the local neighborhood will all be celebrated through the museum’s exhibits.
We are making history! @TampaBayHistory and #TampaHousingAssociation announced their collaborating to bring @CityofTampa & @HillsboroughFL Tampa's Black History Museum at St. James church in ENCORE. #TampaHistory #CommunityPride pic.twitter.com/Op6UvILzK0
— Santiago C. Corrada (@SantiagoCorrada) June 18, 2024
The museum’s doors are expected to open in 18 months with artifacts from the Tampa Bay History Center set to go up. Residents are also reportedly encouraged to give insight into what they’d like on display as part of an exhibit.
“Our partnership with the Tampa Bay History Center shows our joint commitment to preserving diversity history, which is essential for fostering strong communities,” said the President & CEO of the Tampa Housing Authority, Jerome D. Ryans, per an official statement. “The reason why we must honor and share Tampa’s Black heritage is to celebrate the past and inspire future generations to appreciate and uphold the vibrant cultural diversity that makes Tampa so unique.”
The announcement of the creation of their first Black history museum aligns with Juneteenth. Although it’s in its fourth year of being recognized as a federal holiday, Juneteenth, however, is still not officially recognized in Florida.
Per a report by Axios, while the holiday is commemorated across all states, the Florida state government has yet to make Juneteenth an official holiday.
Florida’s government has also previously made headlines for its guidelines for their schools’ teaching of Black history. Led by Rep. Gov. Ron De Santis, the Black history curriculum was altered last year to include a section on how enslavement was “beneficial” for enslaved people. The 1920 Ocoee Massacre was also described as an “act of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans” in the new lesson plans, per Time Magazine.
The guidelines came after the state implemented a new law to go against critical race theory.
