EATONVILLE, Fla. — Officials in the town of Eatonville were hoping to learn Friday whether the community would be named the location where state officials plan to build Florida’s Black History museum, but the final meeting where that decision was to be decided has been postponed until June 28.

What You Need To Know

  • Tenth meeting to decide the location of the Florida Black history museum has been postponed to June 28

  • A task force was created last year under a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. It will oversee decisions to choose a city or town to build the state's Black history museum

  • After nine meetings and more than a dozen applicants, the task force has cut the selection to three finalists, including Eatonville

  • The museum must include historical knowledge like slavery, segregation and the contributions of historically Black colleges and universities

Last year Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law creating a nine-person task force. That group of people, with State Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D-District 15) among them, will work to oversee the necessary operations involved in creating a state museum of Black history. 

The task force has held nine meetings since it was created, and more than a dozen cities — or "towns" in Eatonville’s case — have submitted applications to be considered. In April, the task force recommended its top three ranked locations, with Eatonville ranked second. St. Augustine landed at No. 1 and Opa-Locka third.

Each location earned its ranking based on a system that considers historical relevance, local economy and regional transportation. Wherever the museum is located, it is required to include subject matter related to slavery, segregation, the contributions of historically Black colleges and universities, as well as notable Floridians and African American veterans.

The task force must finalize a location and provide its recommendation to DeSantis by July 1. The final meeting has been postponed to Friday, June 28 at 9:30 a.m.