ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — The City of St. Petersburg raised a flag marking the beginning of Black History Month on Thursday.

It could be the final time the Dr. Carter G. Woodson flag is raised over City Hall, if a proposed bill restricting flags flown at municipal buildings passes the Florida Legislature. Woodson is regarded as the “father of Black history.”

If passed, HB 901 would prohibit the display of “flags that represent a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.”

In Thursday’s flag-raising ceremony, Mayor Ken Welch, City Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Terri Lipsey Scott, Executive Director of the Woodson African American Museum of Florida, delivered remarks.

In his speech, Welch reflected on the history of St. Petersburg’s Black communities and vowed to make good on the promise made to residents of the Historic Gas Plant District decades ago, as the city plans to redevelop the area surrounding Tropicana Field.

The redevelopment plans include a new building for the Woodson African American Museum of Florida, which is currently located about a mile away from the stadium. The museum was described as “the cornerstone” of the development and aims to teach “real Black history,” in the wake of perceived efforts from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to diminish Black history education. 

In 2023, DeSantis’ education department rejected a pilot program for a proposed Advanced Placement (AP) African American studies course. The move was decried by Black activists and educators across the state.

“Last year, we witnessed attempts to suppress teaching of Black history and banned books,” Scott said. “We can’t help but wonder why the collective stories of African American contributions to his nation’s greatness are so troubling to our oppressors.”

Scott vowed the Woodson “will never be deterred by the acts of autocrats.” Welch concurred, saying the city has celebrated its Black history for decades.

“We’re focused on honoring Black history, and as Terri said, no matter what happens in Tallahassee, we are St. Pete,” Welch said. “You can change how we celebrate, but you can’t change our core beliefs.”

Welch said the city plans to send a delegation to the state capital next week to compel lawmakers to “address real problems.”