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WATCH Reparations NOW Resolution Introduced

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 15, 2025 — Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) led her colleagues in reintroducing the Reparations Now Resolution to call on the federal government to provide reparations to the descendants of enslaved Black families. The resolution seeks to advance federal reparations, support existing reparatory justice efforts such as H.R. 40, and provide further momentum […]

Published

11 months ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 15, 2025 — Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) led her colleagues in reintroducing the Reparations Now Resolution to call on the federal government to provide reparations to the descendants of enslaved Black families. The resolution seeks to advance federal reparations, support existing reparatory justice efforts such as H.R. 40, and provide further momentum to reparations efforts at the state and local levels. WATCH:

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Read the bill here.

The resolution was introduced at a press conference with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and a coalition of advocates. Former Congresswoman Cori Bush, who initially introduced the resolution, was also in attendance. The Members were joined by Dreisen Heath of Reparations Strategist and Founder of Why We Can’t Wait Reparations Coalition, Miya Iwataki of Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress/Nikkei Progressives, Chelsea Higgs Wise, Executive Director of Marijuana Justice, Robin Rue Simmons of First Repair, Kyle Bibby, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Black Veterans Project, and Marcus Anthony Hunter, Author, Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation.

“As a descendant of my enslaved ancestors, I am deeply humbled to reintroduce the Reparations Now Resolution. Black folks are owed more than thoughts and prayers—we are owed restitution and justice to repair the government-sanctioned harm that has plagued our communities for generations,” said Rep. Summer Lee. “While attempts to whitewash, obstruct, and deny Black history are made, we must fight the white supremacy rampant in our country, against the rising authoritarianism, and not allow anyone to deny Black folks the ability to survive and to thrive. I thank former Congresswoman Bush for passing on the torch for this resolution and urge my colleagues to pass it without delay.”

“Today we say what too many are too afraid to say: Reparations Now. For over 400 years, this country has profited off the stolen labor, stolen land, and stolen lives of Black people, and every day that we fail to repair the harm, we compound it. Until there is repair, there will be no justice, and where there is no justice, we will continue to fight. Many thanks to Congresswoman Summer Lee for her leadership and to this movement. Without you all, this would not move forward,” said former Rep. Bush.

“For centuries, our Black neighbors have endured the brutality of slavery, the violence of white supremacy, the dehumanization of Jim Crow, and the systemic racism that has left a lasting impact on the lives of Black families in our communities,” said Rep. Tlaib. “By following through on our promise to provide reparations, Congress can begin to address the racial wealth gap, end the decades of disinvestment in communities of color, and dismantle the racist systems that have oppressed our Black neighbors for far too long.”

“Congress has a duty – an obligation – to confront past wrongs and address the centuries of enslavement, violence, and discrimination against Black people. With Donald Trump and Republicans waging a coordinated, all-out assault on Black communities, we must advance an affirmative agenda for Black America,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “We are in a moment of anti-Blackness on steroids, and we will not back down in our pursuit of reparative justice. I am proud to partner with my sister-in-service, Congresswoman Summer Lee, to continue moving this critical priority forward,” said Rep. Pressley.

“The impact of slavery and generations of racist policies didn’t end with the Civil Rights Movement. We still see the consequences today in wealth inequality, in access to healthcare and education, and in the criminal justice system. That’s why I support the Reparations Now Resolution,” said Rep. Omar. “This bill is about acknowledging the truth of this country’s history and taking meaningful steps to repair the harm. This is one of many ways that we can create real change in the lives of Black families today and for generations to come.”

The Reparations Now Resolution is co-sponsored by Representatives Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Valerie P. Foushee (NC-04), Al Green (TX-09), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Henry “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Shri Thaneder (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

The resolution is endorsed by #unifyUSA, African American Redress Network (AARN), African Ancestral Society, Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT), Amnesty International USA, Athens Reparations Action, Bailey’s Cafe, Benita Raquiba Miller LLC, Black Veterans Project, BlackRoots Alliance, BLIS Collective, Breaking Generational Cycles, California Black Power Network, Campaign For Justice: Redress NOW For Japanese Latin Americans!, Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research (CLEAR), Center for Reparatory Justice, Transformation and Remediation, Community Rising Project, DC Justice Lab, Democrats Abroad Reparations Task Force (DA RTF), Descendants of Enslaved Communities of Virginia, Drug Policy Alliance, Equal Justice USA, Equality Federation, FirstRepair, FreedomRoad.us, Fund For Reparations NOW! (FFRN!), Get Free, Girls for Gender Equity, Gullah Geechee Group (GGG), Inc., Human Rights Watch, Incarcerated Nation Network, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, Japanese American Citizens League, Japanese American Citizens League – Portland, Japanese American Citizens League – Twin Cities Chapter, Japanese Peruvian Oral History Project, Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity (MORE 2), Make It Plain, Malcolm X Center for Self Determination, Middle Collegiate Church, Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA), National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations In America (N’COBRA), National Conference of Black Lawyers Reparations Research Project, National Council of Churches, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, National Black Justice Collective (NBJC), NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Network NOVA & the Virginia Grassroots, Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress (NCRR), Nikkei Progressives/Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress, Norml National Care Givers, Not In Our Town Princeton, Parable of the Sower Intentional Community Cooperative, Parents Across America, People’s Organization for Progress, Positive Women’s Network-USA, Progressive Democrats of America, Rebel Noires, Reclaim Roxbury, Reparation Education Project, Reparations Circle Denver, Reparations Interfaith Coalition of Massachusetts (RIC), Reparations Pledge, Reparations4Slavery, Reparatory Justice Commission, SAFES, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Sanctuary of Hope (SOH), Sistamatictheology, LLC, Soul Child Awakenings LLC, South Carolina Reparations Coalition, The NOTICE Coalition, The Taifa Group, Timelist Group, Inc., Tsuru For Solidarity, UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab-People of African Descent & the SDGs E-Team, Unitarian Universalist Association, United By Equity, Universal Human Rights Initiative, Virago Strategies, and Why We Can’t Wait National Reparations Coalition.

“At a time when injustice is being codified and where there is an operation to erase public memory, Congresswoman Summer Lee dares to not only remember but repair. She carries forward the visionary and courageous torch lit by former Congresswoman Cori Bush—championing a reparations movement—and its demands—that is as expansive as it is urgent. From education justice to wealth building, from maternal health to environmental equity, this resolution recognizes that repair must meet us at every intersection of harm. The #ReparationsNow Resolution is not just a policy proposal — it is a movement mandate. This resolution is a light in an era of erasure and is a testament to the leadership of Black women who refuse to let this nation forget what it owes,” said Dreisen Heath, Reparations Strategist, Founder, Why We Can’t Wait Reparations Coalition.

“Reparations is more than a check. It is redress for lifetimes of losses brought on our people: loss of property, education, access to medical care, unjust imprisonment. As Japanese Americans who fought for Justice and Reparations, we are committed to work in solidarity to win Reparations for Black Americans, and to pass the Reparations Now Resolution!” said Miya Iwataki, Nikkei Progressives/NCRR Reparations Coalition, Organizer.

“Reparations Now is timely and much needed legislation. We commend and support Congresswoman Summer Lee continuing the mighty efforts inaugurated by former Representative Cori Bush,” said Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, Executive Director of United By Equity.

“The National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) is honored to stand with you during the historic introduction of this resolution, providing reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans and people of African descent,” said Kenniss Henry, National Co-Chair of N’COBRA.

“Human Rights Watch strongly endorses Congresswoman Lee’s reparations resolution and its urgent need to confront the enduring legacy of slavery and systemic racism in the United States. The #ReparationsNow resolution paves the way for reparative justice and addressing past harms and their resonant socioeconomic consequences. As international human rights advocates, we see this as a crucial step towards healing, accountability, and prevention of future racial injustice,” said Bria Nelson, Researcher & Advocate of Human Rights Watch.

“Reparations are not just a matter of policy—they are a matter of the morality of our nation. For too long, the dominant story in this country has denied or distorted the truth about slavery, land theft, and the economic foundations of capitalism. This resolution is a powerful step toward repairing the material harms of state-sanctioned anti-Blackness, but it is also an intervention of public memory. It affirms the truth of our history, the dignity of Black life, and the right to self-determination. At BLIS, we know that shifting public perception is essential to building the political will for reparations. We are proud to stand with Congresswoman Summer Lee and the communities who have long led this fight. Together, we are rewriting the story—and reclaiming the future,” said Trevor Smith, Executive Director, BLIS Collective.

“Reparations Now!” said Nkechi Taifa, President of The Taifa Group.

“Over 35 years ago, our country provided reparations to Japanese Americans who had been unjustly incarcerated during WWII. We are long overdue in fully coming to terms with our government’s complicity in the institution of chattel slavery and continued state sanctioned and enforced racial discrimination against Black people. The Japanese American Citizens League continues the call for our nation to once again correct an historic injustice as it did for Japanese Americans, and seek to truly respond to the harms that our government has inflicted upon the Black community in the form of reparations to bring healing for all Americans,” said David Inoue, Executive Director of Japanese American Citizens League.

“Reparations are about making equality real and creating a better future. There’s never been a more urgent time to support this resolution. While the MAGA regime tries to whitewash our history so they can whitewash our country, we’re demanding our leaders stand in the legacy of civil rights, reckon with the truth, and right longstanding wrongs so we can all get free,” said Nicole Carty, Executive Director of Get Free.

“Unitarian Universalists believe reparations are a moral and spiritual imperative. We cannot ignore the wound that persists from the theft of Black bodies, labor, culture, and dignity. The Reparations Now Resolution is a necessary and faithful step toward the healing that will only come through real repair. Our faith calls us to truth, justice, and liberation—and that means showing up with Black communities to demand accountability and showing up for the promise of a democracy for all the people, by all the people,” said Nicole Pressley, Director of Organizing Strategy.

“Respect Repair Restitution,” said Chief Egunwale Amusan, President of African Ancestral Society.

“We must support this resolution because repairing the enduring harms of slavery and systemic racism is essential to achieving a just, inclusive, and multi-racial democracy. The federal government can no longer remain silent,” said Stair Calhoun, Co-founder Network NOVA.

“May we be guided by the wisdom, love, and freedom fighting spirit of our ancestors. Asé!” said Nicolette Paige, Priestess at Soul Child Awakenings, LLC.

“The U.S. stands at a crossroads. We are choosing our future now. We cannot walk into a future with light and hope until we confess and repent of the original sin of our nation– racialized oppression. The Reparations Now resolution is more than legislation. It is a sacred act with the power to repair what racial hierarchy has wrought in our nation and in the lives of Americans of African descent,” said Lisa Sharon Harper, President and Founder of FreedomRoad.us and author of Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World–and How To Repair It All.

“This historic resolution forcefully argues the moral and legal necessity of why the federal government must provide reparations to descendants of enslaved Africans and people of African descent,” said Five Mualimak, Executive Director of Incarcerated Nation Network.

“The long shadow of slavery still looms over the lives of people of African descent who carry with them the transgenerational trauma and who continue to confront marginalization, exclusion and bigotry,” said Dr.Ron Daniels, Norml National Care Givers, CANNABIS, CDJ FASHION FORWARD.

“For centuries, the U.S. government carved injustice into the bones of this nation — sanctioning the theft of Black bodies, lives, and futures to build its wealth and power. The legacy of that violence lives on in every stolen opportunity and deepened divide. True justice demands more than remembrance; it demands repair. A holistic reparations program is not only a moral imperative — it is the first step in healing a wound this country has long refused to close,” said Professor Christian D. Green, National Equity Week Organizer.

“Reparations is restoration of free, sovereign, and independent personhood,” said Efia Nwangaza, Founding Director of South Carolina Reparations Coalition.

“”If I steal from you every day for 400 years, and one day announce that I will stop stealing (or steal less), my debt is not repaid. That theft of wealth, land, safety, and opportunity persists to this day, and it is time for people of privilege, like me, to meaningfully repay our debt,” said Robin A. Lloyd, Founder of Reparations Pledge.

“Gullah Geechee Land Reclaim and Retain (GGLRR) is our continuing demand – Payback Now!” said Sherry Ann Suttles, President of Gullah Geechee Group, Inc.

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Black Artists in America, Installation Three Wraps at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens

TRI-STATE DEFENDER — With 50+ paintings, sculptures and assemblages, the exhibit features artists like Varnette Honeywood from Los Angeles, whose pieces appeared in Bill Coby’s private collection (before they were auctioned off) and on “The Cosby Show.” Also included are works by Alonzo Davis, another Los Angeles artist who opened one of the first galleries there where Black Artists could exhibit.

Published

7 days ago

March 24, 2026

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By Candace A. Gray | Tri-State Defender

The tulips gleefully greet those who enter the gates at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens on an almost spring day. More than 650,000 bulbs of various hues are currently on display. And they are truly breathtaking.

Inside the gallery, and equally as breathtaking, is the “Black Artists in America, From the Bicentennial to September 11” exhibit, which runs through Sunday, March 29. This is the third installment of a three-part series that started years ago and illustrates part of the Black experience through visual arts in the 20th century.

“This story picks up where part two left off,’’ said Kevin Sharp, the Linda W. and S. Herbert Rhea director for the Dixon. “This era is when we really start to see the emergence of these important Black artists’ agency and freedom shine through. They start to say and express what they want to, and it was a really beautiful time.”

With 50+ paintings, sculptures and assemblages, the exhibit features artists like Varnette Honeywood from Los Angeles, whose pieces appeared in Bill Coby’s private collection (before they were auctioned off) and on “The Cosby Show.” Also included are works by Alonzo Davis, another Los Angeles artist who opened one of the first galleries there where Black Artists could exhibit.

“Though [Davis] was from LA, he actually lived in Memphis for a decade,” said Sharp. “He was a dean at Memphis College of Art, and later opened the first gallery in New York owned and operated by black curators.”

Another featured artist is former NFL player, Ernie Barnes. His work is distinctive. Where have you seen one of his most popular paintings, Sugar Shack? On the end scene and credits of the hit show “Good Times.” His piece Saturday Night, Durham, North Carolina, 1974 is in this collection.

Memphis native James Little’s “The War Baby: The Triptych” is among more than 50 works featured in “Black Artists in America, From the Bicentennial to September 11” at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, the final installment of a three-part series highlighting the impact and evolution of Black artists through 2011.

The exhibit features other artists with Memphis ties, including abstract painter James Little, who was raised in a segregated Memphis and attended Memphis Academy of Art (before it was Memphis College of Art). He later moved to New York, became a teacher and an internationally acclaimed fixture in the art world in 2022 when he was named a Whitney Biennial selected artist at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Other artists like Romare Bearden, who had a Southern experience but lived up North, were featured in all three installments.

“During this period of time, he was a major figure,” said Sharp. “He wrote one of the first books on the history of African American art during a time when there were more Black academics, art teachers, more Black everything!”

Speaking of Black educators, Sharp said the head curator behind this tri-part series and Dixon’s partner in the arts is Earnestine Jenkins, Ph.D., an art history professor at the University of Memphis, who also earned a Master of Arts degree from Memphis State University (now UofM). “We began working with Dr. Jenkins in 2018,” he said.

Sharp explained that it takes a team of curators, registrars, counterparts at other museums, and more, about three years to assemble an exhibit like this. It came together quite seamlessly, he added. Each room conjured up more jaw-dropping “wows” than the one before it. Each piece worked with the others to tell the story of Black people and their collective experience during this time period.

One of the last artists about whom Sharp shared information was Bettye Saar, who will turn 100 years old this year. She’s been working in Los Angeles for 80 years and is finally getting her due. Her medium is collages or assemblages, and an incredible work of hers is on display. She’s married to an artist and has two daughters, also artists.

The exhibit catalogue bears some of these artists’ stories, among other scholarly information.

The exhibit, presented by the Joe Orgill Family Fund for Exhibitions, is culturally and colorfully rich. It is a must see and admission to the Dixon is free.

Visit https://www.dixon.org/ to learn more.

Fun Facts: An original James Little design lives in the flooring of the basketball court at Tom Lee Park, and he makes and mixes his own paint colors.

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Grief, Advocacy, and Education: A Counselor Reflects on Black Maternal Health

SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT — Last month healthcare leaders, birth workers, and community members gathered to honor the legacy of Charleston native Dr. Janell Green Smith, a nurse-midwife and doctor of nursing practice who died in January from childbirth complications. She had participated in more than 300 births and specialized in helping Black women give birth safely.

Published

7 days ago

March 24, 2026

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By Jennifer Porter Gore | Word-In-Black | San Diego Voice and Viewpoint

In 2024, the number of U.S. mothers who died as a result of pregnancy or childbirth dropped compared to 2023. But while slightly fewer Black mothers died that year, they still had three times the mortality rate of white women.

South Carolina’s rates of maternal deaths outpaced even the national rates. In fact, the state’s overall rate of maternal deaths between 2019 and 2023 was higher than all but eight states and the District of Columbia.

Last month healthcare leaders, birth workers, and community members gathered to honor the legacy of Charleston native Dr. Janell Green Smith, a nurse-midwife and doctor of nursing practice who died in January from childbirth complications. She had participated in more than 300 births and specialized in helping Black women give birth safely.

Her death shocked the community and her colleagues who are determined to address concerns about Black maternal health. The event also covered the importance of protecting mental health during grief and of men’s role in solving the maternal health crisis.

As both a therapist and a father, Lawrence Lovell, a licensed professional counselor and founder of Breakthrough Solutions, discussed ways the event’s attendees could process their grief over Green Smith’s death. He also shared ways male partners can advocate for women’s maternal health during pregnancy and childbirth.

Lovell spoke not just as a therapist but also as a father whose own family had briefly crossed paths with Green Smith. The event, he said, emerged organically from a moment of collective mourning.

Despite the grief, “it was still, like, a really beautiful event, a much-needed event, and it almost felt like we were all giving each other a collective family hug,” says Lovell.

His connection to Green Smith, Lovell says, was brief but meaningful during his wife’s pregnancy with their second child. Green Smith was practicing at the same birthing center where they had their child. She began practicing in Greenville a short time later.Even that short connection carried significance for Lovell, given the small number of Black maternal health professionals.

Lovell did not initially plan to become a mental health practitioner; he chose the career path after graduating from college, when someone suggested he consider psychology. His interest deepened when he noticed how few Black men work in mental health.

“Being Black man and playing football in college, there weren’t a lot of people that look like me talking about mental health,” says Lovell. “[I wanted] to give people that look like me an opportunity to work with someone that looks like them.”

Working with Expectant and New Parents

Lovell often counsels couples preparing for parenthood by, helping partners understand what a successful pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery look like. That often means helping women manage postpartum depression.

As a man, Lovell says, it’s “humbling” that a woman “just trusts me enough to work with me through their pregnancy or their postpartum recovery.”

In his work, Lovell has noticed how few men understand pregnancy before they experience it with their partner. Because early pregnancy symptoms are often invisible, he says, men may underestimate how much support a mom-to-be actually needs.

“Sometimes they may not realize they don’t know much about pregnancy and what to expect in those three trimesters,” Lovell says. “I tell a lot of the men that just because you can’t see [she’s pregnant] doesn’t mean that she won’t appreciate your intense support in that first trimester.”

Education about pregnancy and postpartum recovery, he says, can change how men support their partners.

Teaching Advocacy in the Delivery Room

Another major focus of Lovell’s counseling is preparing men to advocate for mothers during labor.

“Helping men understand what pregnancy looks like: what delivery is going to look like, and what are the realistic expectations that I should have of myself in postpartum,” he says.

Lovell encourages partners to be honest about their expectations for what will happen during delivery. He helps them prepare for the big day by discussing the birth plan and knowing how to quickly recognize problems. Clear communication, he says, prevents misunderstandings.

He regularly trains men to ask their partners detailed questions about their expectations during and after pregnancy. Advocacy in medical settings can be especially important and requires attention to details the mother may not be able to address.

“It’s always important to fine-tune things and truly understand what helps your partner feel most supported,” Lovell says. “Instead of guessing, you should ask.”

Lovell recalls a moment during the birth of his first child when he had to take that role.

During the delivery, “I felt like something wasn’t as sanitary as I’d like it to be,” he says. “I asked, ‘Hey, can you switch those out? Can you change your gloves?’”

Lovell has a succinct but powerful message he regularly shares with clients’ families, and he shared it with attendees at last month’s event.

“Just to believe women,” he says. “I’ve worked with different couples, and sometimes I’m not really sure that there’s enough empathy from the men.”

That includes how women express pain.

“If a woman says, ‘my pain is at a nine,’ just because how you would express yourself at a nine is different than how she’s expressing herself at [that level] doesn’t mean you shouldn’t believe her,” he says.

Empathy, he says, can change outcomes far beyond the delivery room.

“We’ve got to believe women when they’re talking about their experiences and their feelings and their pain,” he says. “I think there’s a lot that we can prevent if we empathize better.”

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Future of Florida’s Black History Museum in Limbo

JACKSONVILLE FREE PRESS — A proposal sponsored by Tom Leek, a Republican from Ormond Beach, has now passed the Senate in back-to-back legislative sessions. But the House version, filed by Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville Republican, did not receive final approval in either year, effectively stalling the effort.

Published

7 days ago

March 24, 2026

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Jacksonville Free Press

Plans to establish a long-awaited Black history museum in Florida are once again on hold after legislation needed to advance the project failed to clear the state House for a second consecutive year, despite repeated approval in the Senate.

A proposal sponsored by Tom Leek, a Republican from Ormond Beach, has now passed the Senate in back-to-back legislative sessions. But the House version, filed by Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville Republican, did not receive final approval in either year, effectively stalling the effort.

Under Florida law, identical or similar bills must pass both chambers before heading to the governor’s desk. Without House approval, the legislation has been unable to move forward, leaving the project in limbo. Long journey, contested location.

The proposed museum, formally known as the Florida Museum of Black History, has been years in the making, with lawmakers and community leaders framing it as a long-overdue institution to preserve and showcase the state’s African American heritage .A central point of contention has been the museum’s location. St. Augustine — widely recognized as the nation’s oldest city and a site deeply tied to both slavery and early Black history — emerged as the leading contender. Supporters argue the city’s historical significance makes it a natural home for the museum. However, competing interests and regional considerations have fueled debate, slowing consensus among lawmakers.

While the Senate-backed measure has consistently advanced, the lack of alignment in the House has underscored ongoing divisions about how and where the project should take shape.

The holdup in the Florida House appears to be less about opposition to the museum itself and more about a combination of procedural bottlenecks, unresolved structural issues, and lingering disagreements over how the project should be formalized and governed.

Despite the legislative setbacks, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has publicly voiced support for the museum. Speaking last month during the unveiling of a statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass in St. Augustine, DeSantis said the project would move forward “one way or another,” signaling an intent to see the museum built regardless of legislative hurdles.

The anticipated museum has already cleared several hurdles. St. Johns County signed an agreement last year with Florida Memorial University to use the land that once housed its campus last year’s legislative session netted $1 million in funding for St. Johns County to work on planning and design for the museum. However, its anticipated that a million $3 million is needed.

Still, without statutory approval to finalize key components — including governance, funding mechanisms and site selection — the project remains largely conceptual.
With the House bill failing again, the timeline for the museum’s development is unclear. Lawmakers could revisit the proposal in the next legislative session, but any further delays risk pushing the project back several more years. Advocates warn that continued inaction could stall momentum for a museum many see as critical to telling a fuller, more accurate story of Florida’s past. For now, the effort remains paused — caught between political support at the top and legislative gridlock within the Capitol.