Savannah Democrat wants Georgia to have an African-American museum

The bronze statue now looks east over Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

State Sen. Lester Jackson says Georgia's rich African-American history deserves its own public museum.

To achieve that goal, a Savannah Democrat who serves as chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, would like a panel of five senators to investigate the best way to bring a museum to the state.

“We would like to bring all the stakeholders together to find out where should we document and keep all this history and its documents as it relates to African-American history so it can be available for all people of this great state,” he said.

There are specialized museums, such as the Center for Civil and Human Rights, and private museums, including the Apex Museum, but none that tell the full history of African Americans in Georgia.

The panel would take the rest of the year to study the history and contributions of black people in the state and determine the best way to display it.

Jackson said if a museum is built, he believes it will draw visitors from not only Georgia, but across the country.

A Senate panel gave initial approval to the measure, Senate Resolution 503, Wednesday.