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Senate creates Florida Museum of Black History, citing preservation and education
Summary
SB 308 establishes the Florida Museum of Black History, creates a board and requires county administrative support; senators across the aisle praised the initiative during a floor debate held in Black History Month. A late amendment added ex‑officio legislative members to the board.
Tallahassee — The Florida Senate unanimously approved SB 308 on Feb. 11 to create the Florida Museum of Black History, a move advocates called historic and long overdue.
Senator Shevrin Leake, the bill sponsor, described the legislation as a way to preserve artifacts and stories that might otherwise be lost and to provide educational resources for students, scholars and the public. A late‑filed amendment adopted on the floor adds two senators and two House members as ex‑officio nonvoting members of the museum's board.
Senators Russin and Osgood spoke in strong support during floor debate, framing the museum as a vital repository for a fuller account of state history and noting the site’s ties to Saint Augustine and Florida Memorial University. "This history deserves preservation," Senator Russin said, urging colleagues to support the legislation during Black History Month.
The bill tasks a board of directors with working alongside existing foundations and directs a county to provide administrative support during the planning phase. Sponsors said implementation steps and funding will be addressed in follow‑up work and through normal budgetary processes.
What’s next: SB 308 passed 39–0 and will be sent to the House. Lawmakers and advocates said they plan to coordinate on planning, artifact acquisition and partnerships with historically Black institutions.
