TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A Tallahassee educator and civic leader who helped shape the capital city’s Black community is being remembered on his birthday.
The John G. Riley Center and Museum opened its doors Thursday for a special birthday celebration honoring Riley and Tallahassee’s African-American history.
The John G. Riley Center is featuring its third out of a four-part series on African-Americans in Tallahassee. Visitors will see exhibits on the African-American experience during the World Wars, post-war life and Riley’s impact on the community.
Riley was dedicated to the community here in Tallahassee, recognizing the importance of education and history. For 30 years, the museum has been a free experience for anyone to come learn about his legacy and the African-American history of Tallahassee.
Among those visiting today was a group of Florida State University first-year students, who said the experience introduced them to parts of local history they didn’t know about.
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Kendy Brown, an FSU service scholar, said that the exhibits were really informative.
“It showcases so many historical moments regarding African-Americans historically, just World War I, the things of that nature,” Brown said. “British and the United States, women pioneers. I learned so much about history that I honestly should have been aware of, but if I wouldn’t have gone here, I wouldn’t have known it, and now I do.”
For these students, it was their first time visiting the museum, and they walked away knowing a little more about the community around them and the people who helped shape it.
Along the way, they even got to meet Riley in the form of an animatronic that greets visitors during the tour.
And the museum isn’t done telling that story just yet.
The fourth and final part of the series is expected to open in early 2027, focusing on the Civil Rights Movement and its impact in Tallahassee.
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