For years, military uniforms, medals, and personal artifacts representing African American service members were stored in archival boxes at Florida A&M University (FAMU). This Black History Month, these items are on display as part of a new exhibition at the Meek-Eaton Black Archives. The exhibit, titled “FAMU Celebrates America250: Highlighting the Meek-Eaton African American Military Collection,” opened on February 1 and is part of FAMU’s contribution to the statewide America250FL commemoration.
“We wanted to highlight material that had literally been hidden for many years,” said Timothy A. Barber, director of museum operations at the Meek-Eaton Research Center and Museum. “These uniforms and artifacts told a story you can’t erase. African Americans participated in every American war, and FAMU alumni were part of that history.”
The exhibition includes military uniforms, medals, photographs, documents, and personal artifacts from the American Revolution through present-day conflicts. Many items come from both the archives’ collection and private family donations.
One donor reflected on seeing his uniforms displayed for the first time. “I donated the uniforms several years ago, and this was the first time they were displayed,” Mack said. “Everything I achieved was based on the education and ROTC training I received here and the support of fellow Rattlers.” He added, “It was a great, big, warm feeling. I want our students to know that you can come here and go all the way to the top.”
Autumn Heatrice, museum registrar at Meek-Eaton Black Archives, described how presenting these collections transformed them into living history. “These collections were in boxes, downstairs in our holdings,” Heatrice said. “This exhibit gave them new life. We were able to humanize the collections by providing context — honoring those who came before us and the sacrifices they made.”
A visitor named Hopkins commented on learning about overlooked aspects of history during his visit: “It parallels what’s happening now. People like the message, but not our skin,” he said. Hopkins also discovered information about the Black national anthem and Polaroid’s involvement in World War II technology for the first time while viewing the exhibit. “My biggest takeaway was that I need to learn more about my history,” Hopkins said. “I would recommend my peers come see this because there’s so much here that we don’t know.”
The exhibition also aims to support student veterans through campus partnerships focused on scholarships, internships, and educational programs. Lewis Dilbert, Ph.D., director of military and veteran affairs at FAMU stated: “This exhibit helps students understand the role African Americans played in shaping this country. We’re grateful to the Black Archives and the Florida Veterans Foundation for prioritizing this work and making these resources available.”
A digital storytelling kiosk supported by the Florida Veterans Foundation allows FAMU-affiliated veterans to record their service stories for permanent archiving with the Library of Congress. Pia Woodley, chair of the Florida Veterans Foundation explained: “This kiosk serves as a repository of veteran stories. Once recorded, those stories are registered with the Library of Congress and preserved for families and future generations.” FAMU is noted as being Florida’s first historically Black university to pilot this initiative.
The exhibition will remain open through August 2026 with free admission for visitors.
