by Howard Campbell
PLANTATION – Members of South Florida’s West Indian community came out in numbers on April 8, for the reopening of Island SPACE Caribbean Museum at Broward Mall in Plantation.
It officially opened at a different location at Broward Mall in October 2021, but the current venue is a roomier accommodation. Co-founder David Muir reckons as many as 600 patrons attended the event.
“Throughout the day, guests shared that they represented places like Haiti, Cuba, Guyana, the US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, St. Lucia, Antigua, the United States, and even as far away as the Middle East. The mix of people who showed interest by visiting Island SPACE Caribbean Museum confirmed to us that our heritage is not only important to people from the region, but is fascinating also to those from far beyond,” he said.
Muir disclosed that representatives from the tourist boards of The Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica were present. Along with guests, they viewed a range of artifacts from the English, Spanish and French-speaking Caribbean, some donated by celebrities.
“There’s clothing and equipment from sporting heroes (such as) Ato Boldon’s Over-the-Top shades, Usain Bolt’s signed running shoes, Alia Atkinson-signed swim cap, signed bats from Viv Richards, Chris Gayle, etc, musical items from stars like (drummer) Sly Dunbar and Spice’s head-to-toe performance outfits, Sean Paul’s platinum record, Willie Stewart’s Djembe drum as well as celebrating our music forms,” he said.
Muir and Island SPACE Caribbean Museum co-founder Calibe Thompson were also present to greet guests and share anecdotes about the museum’s artifacts as well as Caribbean culture and history.
South Florida is home to millions of, and descendants of immigrants, from Latin America, Haiti and the West Indies. Most of them live in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, or smaller cities like Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes and Pembroke Pines.
Island SPACE Caribbean Museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Sunday’s from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
