With this decision, 450 years of Florida’ s Black history will be memorialized on the former site of Florida Methodist University. Placing the museum within a historically Black community reinforces a powerful narrative, broadening understanding of the contributions and cultural influence of Black people in Florida across generations.
Plans for the museum include a 100,000-squarefoot facility featuring exhibits, galleries, artifacts, performing arts and educational spaces. Beyond its cultural significance, the museum is expected to serve as an economic catalyst— attracting visitors, generating investment and creating new opportunities for the surrounding community.
Alesia Wilbekin, Board Member for the Florida Museum of Black History Foundation, emphasizes the project’ s statewide impact.“ It will require resources, research, artifacts and community input from across all of Florida,” she said.“ Its success will depend on participation from communities throughout the state, making it a truly collective effort to preserve and tell Florida’ s Black history.”
The project has already secured initial state funding for planning and design, with additional support anticipated as it moves forward.
Arts as an Economic Engine
In Volusia County, the impact of cultural investment is already taking shape through the leadership of Hyatt and Cici Brown. Their contributions have significantly reshaped the region’ s cultural landscape and will continue to do so for generations to come.
The Browns have invested more than $ 30 million to develop the Riverfront Esplanade and are investing $ 175 million to transform the former Museum of Arts and Sciences into The Cici & Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, Science & History, known as The Brown.
Together, these projects reflect a broader strategy— pairing cultural investment with placemaking to drive both community engagement and economic growth.
What was once a long-neglected stretch of riverfront has been transformed into a dynamic public space. The Riverfront Esplanade, a 22-acre, $ 36.5 million redevelopment along the Halifax River, opened in phases between 2022 and 2023 and now serves as a central gathering place for the community.
The Esplanade has quickly become an active hub for programming and events, hosting experiences such as Action Academy’ s Children’ s Business Fair. The event brings together young entrepreneurs to create,
The Riverfront Esplanade in Daytona Beach Photo credit: Riverfront Esplanade
DIAMOND EDITION | 37 |