Giving Tuesday 2023
Giving Tuesday is a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.” We would appreciate your support and donations this Tuesday, November 28, 2023 to continue the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center’s mission of preserving, promoting, and perpetuating over 450 years of the African American story through the arts, educational programs, lectures, live performances, and exhibits.
The LMCC is run by a small staff and volunteers and is funded by grants and donations that allow us to continue to educate on Lincolnville and African American history and to preserve these stories. This year we have had several impactful partnerships and events and the goal is to do even more in the next year.
A Brief Overview of 2023
In January, we started the year with a panel discussion honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that featured local community leaders such as Pastor Lavern March of Living Waters Ministries, Rev. David Williamson of Grace United Methodist, City Commissioner and Associate Professor Barbara Blonder, and Todd Neville, CPA, former Vice-Mayor of the City of St. Augustine. The panel focused on the national theme of MLK day, "It Starts With Me: Cultivating a Beloved Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.”
In February, we collaborated with The Woman’s Exchange through an exhibit focusing on Anna Murray Douglass (Frederick Douglass’s wife of 44 years), a luncheon, and lecture at their Pena-Peck House and the Lincolnville Museum. Lana Turner, Chair of The Literary Society of New York City and celebrated designer Cassandra Bromfield brought the story of Anna Murray Douglass to life by bringing her dress down from NYC to St. Augustine for this luncheon.
In April, thanks to the support from the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society, we hosted the Florida premier of Zora Neale Hurston’s play Color Struck which is a play set in St. Augustine and was brought to life in the LMCC by local actors.
In June, we put on a Juneteenth Heritage Celebration Weekend that featured many local musicians, including Gullah Geechee artist Mahoganee.
We curated a digital exhibit entitled Unearthed Treasures of Lincolnville to increase accessibility of the history we house in the museum that went live in July.
We introduced a new exhibit, Financial Independence: Historic Black Businesses of St. Augustine, in September that looks at businesses beginning in the 17th century and going into the present day. This area has a rich history of independent Black entrepreneurs, whose contributions have helped make Lincolnville and St. Augustine what it is today.
In October, there was a Cleanup and Lincolnville Beautification event to clean the area surrounding the museum as we are in the heart of the Lincolnville community and want the area to be inviting to encourage visitors.
Upcoming at the LMCC
On December 8th, we are hosting our fourth annual Holiday Soiree that acts as a fundraiser to fill in the gaps of what grants do not cover. Please consider buying a ticket to this event for Giving Tuesday. The Holiday Soiree will have festive, food, and fun with hors d'oeuvres and live entertainment. Live entertainment will feature holiday favorites performed by vocalist Terry Graham and pianist Donna Zerbato. Additionally, there will be a performance by folk guitarist David Reed. Tickets are $50 per person and include one free drink. They are available for purchase online via Eventbrite and at the front desk.
Juneteenth 2024 we will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights movement. Therefore, we want our Juneteenth celebration to be even better than last years and pay tribute to the impact that Lincolnville and St. Augustine had on the national Civil Right Movement.
There will be more historic preservation of the Excelsior. This has been a continuous restoration project that is in constant need of support and donations. The upgrades will move the LMCC closer to self-sustainability as it will be able to focus on operations and have a building that is fully functional for its programs and for use by the greater community.
The LMCC is in a building whose construction started in 1924 and then became the first public Black high school in St. Johns county in 1925, meaning the building is reaching its 100th year and we would love to celebrate it with even more events and partnerships. To do this, we would appreciate your support in any way whether it be through donations, volunteering, signing up for a membership, stopping by to visit our museum, or even spreading the word about the LMCC to others.
If you donate this Giving Tuesday, be sure to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday to promote the non-profit organizations and causes you are supporting!