To many visitors, the Bahama Village exhibit at the Key West Museum of Art & History is just that, an exhibit, a collection of objects and photos of unfamiliar people.
But to the elders of Bahama Village, the exhibit is a personal photo album, a scrapbook and a high school yearbook all rolled into one.
On May 5, a group of about 40 community elders, most of whom were born and raised in Bahama Village, boarded a Conch Tour Train that took them to the museum so they could tour “Bahama Village: Relics of a Fading Community,” on display until May 21.
They strolled through larger-than-life photos of friends and relatives, pointing out everyone they recognized. They recalled the traditions of the annual Maypole ceremony and ran its green and white streamers through their fingers.
“Green and white were the colors of Frederick Douglass School,” said Virginia Irving, a former teacher at the school that served Key West’s black population during segregation and the current facilitator of the Frederick Douglass Black Educators Memorial Project.
“The response to the Bahama Village exhibit has been extraordinary,” said Cori Convertito, Key West Art & Historical Society curator and historian. “Living with the artifacts, images and stories of Bahama Village in the museum gallery, one cannot help but be both moved and stirred by the influences and impacts of our own black community.”
Artifacts on display include a football helmet and shoulder pads from Frederick Douglass School, musical instruments from the estate of William McKinzie, a 19th-century Sanchez family bible, and a suit once belonging to illustrious local musician Coffee Butler.
“These items and several others tell the inspiring history, culture and roles of the black residents,” Convertito said. “We are exploring ways to make the exhibition and educational resources available on the internet. These online resources will be a superb asset for researchers wanting to discover more about Key West and the contributions of its black population,” Convertito said.
