The museum celebrates Tampa’s black heritage and culture.
TAMPA, Fla. — A big announcement has been made in Tampa to kick off Juneteenth Week: the Tampa Bay History Center is partnering with the Tampa Housing Authority to open the Tampa Black History Museum. The project, which will be located in the Encore neighborhood of downtown Tampa, has been years in the making but finally comes to fruition today.
Tampa’s Black History Museum was founded in 1895 and is housed in the fully restored St. James Episcopal Church, just a stone’s throw from Perry Harvey Park, which commemorates the heart of Tampa’s black community in downtown Tampa.
Most of it was demolished long ago, but it is not forgotten.
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Fred Hahn is the curator of black history at the Tampa Bay History Center.
He says the site is an important part of telling the history of our city.
“We’re just a block away from Central Avenue in what was once known as the Harlem of the South, and over the years it’s been home to nearly 100 businesses, primarily black-owned and operated businesses,” Hahn said. “It’s just a few blocks north of downtown Tampa.”
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The museum is not yet open as they are still putting the finishing touches on it. There is a paid event planned at the museum on Wednesday: a fashion show called “Fabric of Freedom” featuring clothing from the late 1800s to the present. Click here for more information.
