Two years after a charter bus fire nearly derailed a high-stakes trip to the state capital, 54 community leaders, educators and advocates were honored April 21 in the rotunda of the St. Johns County Administration Building—a recognition that doubles as a milestone in the campaign to bring Florida’s Black History Museum to St. Augustine.

Branded by participants as “We Brought the Smoke,” the ceremony framed the incident not as a setback, but as a turning point.

County Commissioner Clay Murphy called it “a generational moment,” adding that the slogan “is more than a catchy phrase, it’s what happens when people show up, speak up and stay engaged.”

The honorees were en route to Tallahassee on April 19, 2024, lobbying to the site of the proposed museum on the former Florida Memorial College campus. St. Augustine had edged out competing bids from Eatonville, Opa-Locka, and Sarasota, and the momentum was building.

Then came a loud pop. A blown tire sparked an engine fire on Interstate 10, forcing an emergency evacuation. With the assistance from St. Johns Sheriff Robert A. Hardwick, deputies from Baker County transported the group by school bus to Macclenny. No serious injuries were reported.

At that moment, the mission could have ended.

Instead, it hardened.

“With the wheels literally falling off, they chose to keep going,” said Howard M. Holley Sr., Board Chair of the Foundation for the Florida Museum of Black History. “No fatalities, no injuries, no one turned back and the museum is coming to St. Augustine.”

That resolve translated into results. In September 2025, the state allocated $1 million for planning and design. A month later, the St. Johns County Commission unanimously approved a ground lease agreement with Florida Memorial University Foundation Inc., securing the former campus as the museum site.

Legislation to formalize governance is still in motion. The Florida Senate passed SB 308 establishing a Black History Museum Board of Directors, though the House companion bill stalled in committee.

For organizers like Greg White, president of the West Augustine Historical Community Development Corp., the recognition underscores a broader message:

“The deck was stacked against us,” White said. “But we are unstacking it. Every journey starts with one step.”

We Brought the Smoke