Nothing grieves me more than watching people who have long benefited from taxpayer-supported public amenities question whether others deserve the same opportunity.
For generations, our tax dollars have built, maintained and sustained the places that define St. Petersburg; the airport, the marina, the Mahaffey Theater, the Pier, Tropicana Field, Sunken Gardens and countless other city-supported institutions.
Public investments have also helped support cultural treasures such as the Florida International Museum during its existence, the Dalí Museum, the St. Petersburg Museum of History and numerous public art installations throughout our city.
That is what a community does. We invest in places that enrich the lives of our citizens.
So why does the conversation change when the investment is in African American art, history and culture?
Too often, I hear the message, sometimes spoken, sometimes implied, that “less is enough.” That our vision should be smaller. That our aspirations should somehow be scaled to fit someone else’s perception of our value.
That is a painful message to receive in a city where so many proudly proclaim themselves allies of equity and inclusion.
For 20 years, the Woodson African American Museum of Florida has proven that it is far more than a museum.
We have provided exhibition opportunities to more than 100 artists who otherwise may never have been seen by the public. We proudly helped launch the career of internationally recognized artist Ya La’Ford, along with many other emerging creatives.
Through the Woodson Warriors Scholarship Program, we have helped more than 50 students pursue higher education, awarding over $1.5 million in scholarships to young people whose dreams deserved every opportunity to flourish.
We have welcomed nationally respected voices such as Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Legacy Museum, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones.
We celebrate local authors through Books, Bubbles & Brunch. We preserve community history through our “At the Feet of the Elders” oral history series, ensuring that the voices of our elders are never lost.
We honor centenarians. We recognize outstanding students through the Vyrle Davis Achievement Awards. We have advocated for families living in unsafe housing. We stepped into one of Florida’s lowest-performing schools by helping provide a washer, dryer and clothing closet because we understood that dignity often comes before academic success.
We have led efforts to protect voting rights. We have celebrated our community through flag raisings, Legends Balls, First Ladies celebrations, jazz performances in our Legacy Garden and countless educational programs.
And today, we are proud to be the only museum in St. Petersburg hosting a Smithsonian Museum on Main Street exhibition in partnership with Florida Humanities as America commemorates its 250th anniversary.
The truth is, The Woodson has rarely had the luxury of being “just a museum.”
Like so many African American cultural institutions across this country, we have been called upon to be a classroom, a gathering place, an advocate, an archive, a scholarship provider, a community center and a source of hope, all while preserving and celebrating history.
When you support public investment in the institutions you love, know that my tax dollars help support them too. I do so because I believe public resources should serve the entire community – not only the communities that reflect my own interests.
In return, I simply ask a few questions.
Have you attended an exhibition at The Woodson?
Have you sat “At the Feet of the Elders” and listened to history shared by those who lived it?
Have you supported scholarships for students from historically underrepresented communities?
Have you spent an evening in our Legacy Garden listening to local jazz musicians?
Have you celebrated the remarkable women honored during our First Ladies programs or our Winnie Foster Lifetime Achievement Awards?
Have you attended a Legends Ball or stood with us during our annual Flag Raising?
If not, I invite you.
Come experience what your neighbors have spent two decades building.
Come see why this museum matters, not only to African Americans, but to the cultural fabric of St. Petersburg itself.
Our vision is not about asking for more than anyone else.
It is about asking for what every community deserves: the opportunity to preserve its history, celebrate its culture, inspire its children and build a future worthy of the generations who came before us.
We will continue to pursue that vision with excellence, determination and hope.
Because our history deserves to be seen.
Our stories deserve to be told.
And our future deserves to be imagined without limits.
Terri Lipsey Scott is Executive Director of the Woodson African American Museum of Florida.