Fort Myers Black historical past exhibit hyperlinks Civil Rights Motion with Black Lives Matter

FORT MYERS

Each month of Black History, the Lee County Black History Society chooses a new theme for the Williams Academy’s Black History Museum in Fort Myers.

The 2021 exhibition is a parallel to the civil rights movement to the protests against Black Lives Matter.

It walks you through the landmark laws and milestones of the civil rights movement to the protests that began with Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012 and lasted until summer 2020.

The museum wants people to see the connections between the struggle against racial injustice in the past and the ongoing struggle of blacks today.

“We really just want to emphasize that the entire movement and how we now connect it to the civil rights movement within the movement are fighting for the same things,” said Charles Barnes, chairman of the Lee County Black History Society. “Justice for people who cannot speak out for justice.”

The museum is closed due to the pandemic, but offers virtual tours of the exhibition.