For decades, military uniforms, medals, and other artifacts representing the service of African Americans in the U.S. armed forces were stored away at Florida A&M University (FAMU). Now, 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. It highlights themes such as service, sacrifice, patriotism, and citizenship within African American military history. The event is also part of FAMU’s participation in the America250FL initiative to commemorate the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
“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.”
Artifacts for the exhibit came from both the archives’ collection and private family donations. Items include uniforms, medals, photographs, documents, and personal effects dating from the American Revolution to recent conflicts.
One contributor was Mack, who donated his uniforms several years ago but saw them displayed for the first time during this exhibition. “Everything I achieved was based on the education and ROTC training I received here and the support of fellow Rattlers,” he said.
Mack described seeing his old uniforms again as an emotional experience: “It was a great, big, warm feeling,” he said. “I want our students to know that you can come here and go all the way to the top.”
Autumn Heatrice serves as registrar at Meek-Eaton Black Archives. She emphasized how displaying these objects transforms them into accessible 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 reflected on how much history remains untaught: “It parallels what’s happening now. People like the message, but not our skin,” he said.
Hopkins learned about new aspects of Black military history during his visit—including information about Polaroid’s contribution to World War II technology—and encouraged others to attend: “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.”
Lewis Dilbert, Ph.D., director of military and veteran affairs at FAMU noted how partnerships around student veterans have grown through this project with scholarships and educational programs supporting their success: “This exhibit helps students understand the role African Americans played in shaping this country,” Dilbert said. “We’re grateful to the Black Archives and the Florida Veterans Foundation for prioritizing this work and making these resources available.”
The exhibition includes a digital storytelling kiosk funded by the Florida Veterans Foundation, where veterans affiliated with FAMU can record their stories for preservation.
“This kiosk serves as a repository of veteran stories,” said Pia Woodley, chair of the Florida Veterans Foundation. “Once recorded, those stories are registered with the Library of Congress and preserved for families and future generations.”
FAMU is reportedly Florida’s first historically Black university to participate in this initiative by offering access to digital storytelling outside traditional museums.
The exhibition will remain open through August 2026; it is free for visitors from campus or beyond who wish to learn more about African American contributions throughout U.S. military history via original items or interactive displays.
