TAMPA, Fla. — A big announcement in Tampa to kick off Juneteenth week. The Tampa Bay History Center is partnering with the Tampa Housing Authority to open Tampa's Black History Museum. The project in the Encore district of Downtown Tampa has been years in the making and today will finally become a reality.
Tampa's Black History Museum will be inside the fully restored St. James Episcopal Church, which was originally founded in 1895. The location is just steps away from Perry Harvey Park, which celebrates the heart of the Black community in downtown Tampa.
Most of it was torn down long ago, but not forgotten.
Fred Hearn is the Curator of Black History for the Tampa Bay History Center.
He says the location is an important part of telling the history of our city.
"It's just a block away from the former Central Avenue which was the Harlem of the South, where for many, many years almost 100 businesses were located, primarily Black-owned and operated businesses," Hearn said. "Just a couple of blocks north of downtown Tampa."
They are still putting the finishing touches on the museum, so it's not open quite yet. There is a ticketed event planned on Wednesday at the museum. It's a fashion show called "Fabric of Freedom" featuring clothing from the late 1800s until now. Click here to find out more.
