Funding needed for black history exhibitions in Naples

NAPLES, Florida. Hundreds of people gathered at the sports complex located in Naples, at the Jazz on the Lawn, enjoying live music, food and drinks.

All proceeds from the event went to the Black History Baggage Car Project, which is an exhibit dedicated to black figures in Southwest Florida.

Including a group of men who worked at the Naples railway stations after World War II.

“Here in Naples, a lot of people don’t realize that African Americans have made a big difference, whether it’s in the workforce or the patents,” said Vincent Keyes, president of the Collier County chapter of the NAACP.

The old baggage car will be the centerpiece of an exhibit that will showcase the various contributions of blacks to Collier County.

Photo courtesy: Black History Baggage Car Project

Keyes was the one who discovered the old baggage car to be used at the exhibit. He said that when he found it, it was used to store Christmas goods. As a former railroad worker, he explained the significance of the railroad and the influence of the people who worked on it.

“Only when the railway came here on the 27th did it really open up for tourism and construction. That’s when Naples became a marker on the map,” said Vincent Keyes, president of the Collier County NAACP chapter. “You probably remember President Roosevelt visiting the Everglades and they came by train.”

Photo Credit: Black History Car Project

The first of its kind in Collier County, the Baggage Car Project will be located at the Naples Depot Museum.

“It was a railroad depot with many passengers coming from the 1920s,” said William “Bill” Dwight, president of the Friends of Collier County museum. “Most of the depot itself, as well as the tracks, were built by African Americans.”

Photo courtesy: Black History Automotive Project

Because the baggage car is not stored, it will now be a key visual telling stories about the contributions blacks have made to Collier County. Dwight added that the Naples Depot Museum is an appropriate location for the exhibit because the 10th Street/Goodlett Road corridor has traditionally been home to Naples’ black population.

“We’re hoping to find out more because not much is known, well, a lot is known, but we want to know more,” Dwight said.

Funding is the key constraint to the project. Case said the project is halfway to its goal, but still needs the community’s help.

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