February is Black History Month. All month long, cities around the U.S. are paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who have struggled against adversity in America. In the Florida Keys, the Key West Art and Historical Society (KWAHS) is offering a unique opportunity to learn about Key West's Black community!
Photo from https://www.facebook.com/KWAHS1949/
From January 13 through March 19, KWAHS is sponsoring an amazing exhibit where visitors can bear witness to the history of Key West's Black community. Titled "Bahama Village: Relics of a Fading Community," this exhibit looks at how the island's Black residents have used education, religious institutions, businesses, food, music, and voluntary associations to create a vibrant community.
KWAHS highlights: "Bahama Village, in the westernmost portion of the city, was a neighborhood comprised of Black Bahamians and Black Cubans, Chinese, and other groups of color. In this exhibition, their history and stories will be woven together through various events that shaped the Black and Indigenous cultures of Key West."
Photo from https://www.facebook.com/KWAHS1949/
This exhibit features a variety of objects that have never been on view before, including football equipment from Frederick Douglass School, musical instruments from William McKinzie's estate, and personal items owned by prominent residents of Bahama Village. These objects tell a powerful story about the individuals who lived in the "village."
You can view this exhibit at the Key West Museum of Art & History's Bryan Gallery. Be sure to check it out!
To learn more about Black History in Key West, visit https://www.blackkeywest.com/
