Danita R. DeHaney, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, and Fabiola Brumley, president, Bank of America Palm Beach County
Bank of America has provided a $500,000 grant to the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties‘ newly established African American Museum and Research Library (AAMRL) Fund. The AAMRL will serve as a cornerstone for cultural preservation, and community engagement, creating opportunities for celebration across generations.
The grant, which will be distributed over the next two years, will directly support the AAMRL project and help preserve African American culture for residents throughout Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
Bank of America’s commitment to building thriving communities through strategic investments in economic mobility aligns seamlessly with the AAMRL’s mission.
“The African American Museum and Research Library will not only honor a vital piece of our shared history but also serve as a catalyst for opportunity,” said Fabiola Brumley, president, Bank of America Palm Beach County. “This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to advance economic opportunity and cultural understanding across the communities we serve.”
In 2024, the Community Foundation received approval for funding from the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners to plan and develop the new African American Museum at the historic Roosevelt High School site (1601 N. Tamarind Ave) in West Palm Beach. The project will include exhibit space, a research library, and extensive opportunities for community engagement through lectures, workshops, seminars, special exhibitions, cultural programs, oral history projects, research opportunities, and youth programs.
“The Palm Beach County African American Museum and Research Library initiative would not be possible without the generosity and vision of partners like Bank of America,” said Danita R. DeHaney, president & CEO of Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. “We are honored by their $500,000 investment in the AAMRL project and their confidence in our organization’s leadership. Together, we will preserve and celebrate African American history while inspiring future generations through cultural exchange.”
The AAMRL will serve as a transformative anchor institution in the historic Coleman Park neighborhood, fostering community pride, economic growth, and cultural vitality while honoring the area’s rich African American heritage.
This initiative is a collaboration among the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, the School District of Palm Beach County, and numerous community stakeholders.
The site holds deep historical significance, once home to West Palm Beach’s historic Roosevelt High School before becoming the Roosevelt Full-Service Center. Roosevelt alumni and community members have long advocated for a meaningful transformation of the property. The Community Foundation joined the effort in June 2024, when the Palm Beach County Commissioners approved $1 million for the museum’s planning and development.
The School District of Palm Beach County, which owns the site, has already begun renovations under Phase I, with Phase II to include the research library’s restoration and the construction of a new two-story, 20,000-square-foot museum building.
In June 2025, Bora Architecture & Interiors was selected as the project’s lead design firm.
