Jackson County moves forward with plan to construct African American museum

JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. ( WMBB ) – Earlier this year, both Panama City and Marianna were finalists to become the home of the new Florida black history museum.

Despite losing out to St. Johns County and Jackson County, officials are not giving up on the idea. They are moving forward with plans to construct their own African American museum.

In October 2023, Jackson County commissioners worked with community leader and veteran Byron Dickens to build an African American museum. They earmarked a 3,500 sq. ft. building on 1.3 acres East of Interstate-10 if Dickens could raise the money.

In January, Dickens learned about Florida’s efforts to build a black history museum and engaged in that process. Jackson County made the top eight sites but was not the final selection.

“That allowed me the chance to kind of sidestep and focus zoning and more on emancipation history. It’s been my journey to preserve the history of Florida’s emancipation, which is May 20, 1865,” Emancipation Day Festival Director Byron Dickens said.

In April, commissioners modified the land conveyance agreement, extending Dickens’ time to raise money.

“We’ve extended his time frame for him to pick back up where he left off with his, you know, the museum that he would be spearheading. He’s exploring what his options are and you know, we don’t have an identified use for the building,” Jackson County Administrator Wilanne Daniels said.

Dickens estimates the whole project, including renovations, will cost around $2 million.

“Everything is going to come from grant funding and fundraising,” Dickens said.

Dickens’s goal is to make the museum interactive and fun for kids.

“I wanted to make it interesting. I want to make it something that sticks because our children are our history preservers. So in that journey, I reached out and so we decided to make an emancipation history museum tied in with like a mini park and cultural landscape,” Dickens said.

He’s also assembling a community action committee to help.

“People out there that have maybe artifacts, pictures, anything, stories that they want to tell that that will be great for the exhibit,” Dickens added.

Dickens has until October this year to secure grant funding for the museum. If you’d like to join his community action committee, email Dickens at Byron.dickens1@gmail.com or check out his website

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