Clash over Florida's Black history museum location returns

Politico

12-02-2025

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State lawmakers are ready to take another step toward creating the first-ever Florida Museum of Black History. But there's emerging disagreement about its location.
A task force that met last year recommended building the museum in West Augustine, on the previous site of Florida Memorial University and in an area with Civil Rights movement significance. State Sen. TOM LEEK (R-Ormond Beach) introduced a bill this month to create a 13-member governing board that would kick off planning and development, then construction, in St. Johns County where West Augustine is. He paired it with an opening $2 million funding request.
'Having a Black History Museum is important, because Black history is our history,' Leek told Playbook. 'It's a part of who we are, the story that Florida tells.'
But not everyone is on board with that location, reviving a tug of war that began last year. State Rep. BRUCE ANTONE (D-Orlando) is introducing a bill this week that will call for the museum to be built in Eatonville, one of the oldest incorporated Black municipalities in the U.S. and a location he called for at a panel meeting. He contends, among other things, that the voting results on the location last year were skewed because a bulk of the panel was from the area around St. Augustine.
Antone told Playbook it would be a 'disservice' to Black history to build the museum in West Augustine, citing the city's small population — and a demographic that is 4 percent Black. He further argued the museum would drive more foot traffic near Orlando. He said he wants the museum to be 'comprehensive' and to celebrate progress on race relations, highlighting 'how black folks are an integral part of the fabric of the state of Florida.'
'The idea was to build a high quality, large Black history museum,' he said. 'What we ended up with in the recommendations is an unknown entity museum. … I just think this needs to be done right.'
Antone said he met with other Black state lawmakers last week and that they agreed West Augustine was the wrong location, though some told him they'd rather have the museum in Opa-locka. Antone likened building a museum in West Augustine to 'taking a museum and putting it in the back corner of the garage and putting it up on a high shelf where you can't get to it.'
Leek said many locations would have been appropriate for a Florida Black history museum but maintains that West Augustine is the 'perfect location,' saying it was his job to implement what the panel decided and that a legislative override would be unusual. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the U.S., bringing in tourists who have a penchant for history, he added. 'This is the spot,' Leek said, noting the 6-1 vote on the matter. 'There's no doubt about that.'
The rival bills will likely lead to a robust debate over the best way to proceed. Florida has already served as a flashpoint for race policy, including how Black history is taught in classrooms and how race relations are addressed in the workplace.
But Antone said he wasn't concerned about that tension, pointing out that Gov. RON DESANTIS had signed the bill to create the museum task force in the first place. He was likewise 'encouraged' that the governor signed his bill making Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day an official holiday into law. It was worth asking the legislature to weigh the location, he insisted, because 'if you don't ask, you don't get.'
WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis is doing a press conference in Miami Beach at 9:30 a.m.
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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...
NEW ERA? — 'Florida's immigration battle may be over soon. But will Republicans' good times last?' by POLITICO's Gary Fineout and Isa Domínguez. 'The standoff between the Florida Legislature and DeSantis over illegal immigration may be coming to a close. But a new era for the state's governing party is just beginning.
'Despite a contentious intraparty civil war that turned hostile at times online, Republican legislative leaders and the governor crafted a sweeping new proposal behind closed doors that aims to help President Donald Trump carry out his massive deportation effort.
'This type of compromise negotiation had fallen out of fashion in Florida recently, as DeSantis enjoyed unprecedented sway and was able to push legislators to follow his lead. The question now is whether it will continue — and how it will shape the upcoming legislative session, where DeSantis has both budget recommendations and additional high-profile policy pushes on the line.'
— CBS News Miami's Jim DeFede's analysis: 'Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis backs down on immigration.'
CONFIRMATION IN QUESTION? The Florida Jewish legislative caucus raised 'deep concerns' Tuesday about the pending confirmation of a controversial professor DeSantis appointed to University of West Florida over his 'history of antisemitic and misogynistic rhetoric.'
The group of lawmakers urged DeSantis to reconsider his appointment of SCOTT YENOR, a Boise State University political science professor with ties to national conservative think tanks, who was recently chosen as trustees chair at UWF.
State Sen. RANDY FINE, a Melbourne Republican, claims that Yenor 'publicly questioned whether Jews elected to the United States Senate could be qualified for 'national leadership,'' an accusation apparently based on recent social media posts.
'Allowing individuals with a track record of divisive and prejudiced remarks to hold positions of influence within our institutions undermines that mission and erodes public trust,' the Florida Jewish legislative caucus wrote in a statement.
Yenor, though, has his defenders. Israeli American philosopher and scholar Yoram Hazony contends that Yenor 'has nothing to do with anti-Semitism, nor is he anti-Israel.'
'In fact, I was expecting the left to attack his appointment because he's so pro-Jewish,' Hazony wrote on social media Tuesday.
Yenor's appointment is subject to confirmation from the state Senate, which is expected to consider his nomination in two committees before it heads to the full chamber.
— Andrew Atterbury
FLAG FIGHT — 'Florida Senate Republicans introduced legislation Monday that would ban government buildings, including schools, from flying flags that show support for any political message or figure, such as LBGTQ pride, Black Lives Matter and even Trump,' reports POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury.
'The bill, which passed its initial committee hearing along party lines, reignites an idea that was taken up by the Legislature last year but ultimately stalled in the state Senate, making Monday's vote a significant development. Democrats joined LGBTQ+ rights advocates in opposing the proposal, labeling it as 'unnecessary' and 'hurtful.''
PARKS PROTECTION — Sen. GAYLE HARRELL (R-Stuart), the sponsor of a bill that would bar golf courses, lodges and other recreational facilities from state parks, told POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie she's open to changing the legislation — to a point. The bill advanced Tuesday in the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and will face two other committees before it reaches the Senate floor.
'I want to make sure we are protecting our parks,' she said. 'But I also want to make sure we're not moving to the point we can't do anything in our parks. There is a balance.'
MARLA MAPLES AT THE CAPITOL — Actress and health advocate MARLA MAPLES, who was married to Trump from 1993 to 1999, was at the state Capitol on Tuesday calling for a state investigation on reports of so-called 'chem trails.'
Maples, who lives in West Palm Beach, was supporting a bill, FL SB 56 (25R), which prohibits weather-modification activities, including the injection of chemicals into the atmosphere.
Democrats on the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources expressed skepticism about the chemtrails conspiracy theory and repeatedly asked bill supporters who could be spraying chemicals. Maples said Tennessee recently passed similar legislation and is looking into the source of such activities.
'Because atmosphere is obviously not state-centric, do you know anyone in the federal government who may be able to help with this problem?' state Sen. TINA POLSKY, a Democrat from Boca Raton, asked Maples while chuckling.
'I sure do, and believe [me that] I will do everything I can — this is my soul,' Maples replied.
'Well, you know how to get to the top,' Polsky responded. The committee voted 8-3 along party lines to advance the bill.
— Bruce Ritchie
NURSE SHORTAGE — 'Florida nursing school graduates ranked last in the nation for first-time pass rates on the national licensing exam in 2024, leaving the state vulnerable as its population ages,' reports Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Despite having the most test-takers in the country, only 89.4 percent of graduates passed, compared to the national average of 91.6 percent.
CITRUS GREENING CURE — Over the past 20 years, hurricanes, real estate development and citrus greening have contributed to a 90-percent citrus industry decline, but Agriculture Commissioner WILTON SIMPSON thinks there is still hope for recovery, reports the Florida Phoenix's Jay Waagmeester. Researchers have genetically modified trees to kill baby psyllids — insects responsible for infecting the trees — using a protein toxic to the bug, and MATT JOYNER, CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, is pushing for the trees' replacement.
LEGISLATION ROUNDUP — State Sen. NICK DICEGLIE (R-Indian Rocks Beach) filed a bill that would scrub references to the 'Gulf of Mexico' in state laws and change them to the 'Gulf of America,' reports News Service of Florida. ... State Sen. DON GAETZ (R-Crestview) and state Rep. ALEX ANDRADE filed legislation requiring property insurers to pay customers who've faced losses quickly and provide more transparency about rate increases, reports Florida Politics' Andrew Powell.
CAMPAIGN MODE
DON'T FORGET — With special and municipal elections coming up, Florida voters who plan to vote by mail have to request ballots for every general election, reports C. A. Bridges of USA TODAY NETWORK — Florida. Requests for ballots to be mailed must be made no later than 5 p.m., 12 days before an election.
DATELINE D.C.
END OF REMOTE WORK — 'Trump is making good on his campaign pledge to 'dismantle the deep state,' with a return-to-office mandate and resignation program designed to reduce the ranks of the federal workforce. He's directed much of his ire at federal offices in Washington, D.C. and has promised to move some out of the nation's capital.
'But four-fifths of federal workers already live outside the D.C. area. About 94,000 of them call Florida home,' reports Shauna Muckle of the Tampa Bay Times.
LUNA TO LEAD DECLASSIFICATION TASK FORCE — 'Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., will lead a new task force focused on the declassification of federal secrets — including records related to the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy Jr., Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, and other documents in the public interest,' reports Fox News' Brooke Singman.
ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN
— 'Roses are red, violets are blue, 940 million flowers are traveling (through Miami) to you,' by David Fischer of The Associated Press.
BIRTHDAYS: Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes, now president at Florida Policy Project … Axios' Marc Caputo … Gil Ziffer, former Tallahassee city commissioner.