ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The top four locations for the Florida Museum of Black History have been invited to a meeting at 9 a.m. Friday in Tallahassee to answer questions from the museum Task Force -- the final step in the bid process before the governor, House and Senate receive the results.
The finalists for the museum are St. Augustine, Eatonville/Orange County, Sarasota and Opa-locka.
St. Johns County was notified that its proposal is in the lead for becoming the home for Florida’s first Black History Museum.
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Posters were created to show support for the museum to come to St. Johns County and community members will follow the group involved with St. Augustine’s proposal to Tallahassee on Friday.
“Our museum. Oh yeah, we’re going to win it my brother,” Greg White, the advisor for the West Augustine CRA steering committee said.
White grew up in the area where the proposed museum would be.
The museum could go on North Holmes Boulevard across the street from where Florida Memorial College was, which was a historically Black college.
“Oh gosh, it really makes me feel very huge to think that a state museum could be a rock’s throw from where the great Florida Memorial University was,” White said.
For the county to get this far in the consideration process, they had to show they met certain criteria:
- Historical significance
- Appropriateness of the proposed location
- What the region’s economy looked like
Anthon Britton, the pastor of New Mt. Moriah Christian Ministry, said he’s excited at the possibility of the museum coming to the area.
“This museum will be the hub of the beginning to do a lot of healing,” Britton said.
To build on that excitement, he helped charter a bus that will bring more than 50 people to Tallahassee on Friday where the task force will ask additional questions.
Britton said he always thought they would be in this position.
“Yes because I’m optimistic. I play the game to win,” Britton said.
A game that includes the museum hopefully adding value to St. Johns County.
The county said they do not know what questions are going to be asked, but they are happy that so many community members are planning to support them.