A display that examines national and local African-American history will stay in Gainesville longer than expected.
The Matheson History Museum, situated at 513 E. University Ave., decided to extend its exhibit after it gained unforeseen popularity, Rebecca Fitzsimmons, the museum’s curator and archivist, said.
“Long Road to Freedom: The Florida Black Heritage Trail” will remain at the museum until March 25, she said.
The exhibition features Florida’s Black Heritage Trail, a collection of sites, buildings and objects that highlight the African-American community’s struggles and contributions.
An anonymous Gainesville family donated two sweat-stained Ku Klux Klan robes to the collection of artifacts, Fitzsimmons said.
Along with the Black Heritage Trail, the exhibit also explores events such as the Newberry Six lynchings and the Rosewood massacre, she said.
Fitzsimmons said the exhibit helps visitors connect with the past and visualize the future.
“This exhibition has been the catalyst for fantastic interactions and conversations,” Fitzsimmons said.
Carolyn Sinclair, 67, felt nostalgic after watching the museum’s video about Silver Springs State Park on Tuesday.
“It was still segregated when I was there, and people were looking at how much fun us ‘colored’ people — as they called us — had, even though we were by ourselves,” Sinclair said.
