“Life in Shades of Blue” Exhibition by Irwin Brunson at ACCORD Civil Rights Museum
An exhibition of artwork by Irwin Brunson, inspired by his recent novel Life in Shades of Blue. A portion of the proceeds from art sales will benefit the ACCORD Civil Rights Museum. Museum hours Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 79 Bridge St., St. Augustine. www.accordfreedomtrail.org/ACCORDCivilRightsMuseum.html
ACCORD Civil Rights Museum
79 Bridge St.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Saturday, February 21, 2026, to Saturday, March 21, 2026
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
ACCORD Civil Rights Museum –
79 Bridge Street, St. Augustine, Florida
The ACCORD Freedom Trail marker located at 79 Bridge Street is the location of the newly opened ACCORD Civil Rights Museum. The museum officially opened on July 2, 2014, marking the 50th Anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The structure is called The Rudcarlee Building. Doctor Rudolph N. Gordon, one of the first black dentist and maxillofacial surgeons in the State of Florida named the building after his children, Rudolph, Carlotta, and Rosalie. His practice was the first medical office in Saint Augustine that did not have racially segregated waiting rooms.
After Gordon’s death in 1959, the building became the dental office of Doctor Robert B. Hayling. Hayling was the leader of the local Civil Rights Movement. As adult adviser of the St. Augustine NAACP Youth Council and head of the St. Augustine chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Council, Hayling held many strategic meetings and planning sessions at his office with such notables as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others in attendance.
On July 2, 2014, to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Dr. Hayling returned to the Rudcarlie Building for the grand opening of the ACCORD Civil Rights Museum.
The ACCORD Civil Rights Museum houses displays, articles, stories, and artifacts all set up to share the stories of the Unsung “heroes” and “sheroes” of the local 1960s Civil Rights Movement. We offer daily film viewings of civil rights documentaries and vintage clips. Visitors can watch clips from the breathtaking documentaries “Crossing in St. Augustine” by Ambassador Andrew Young, and “Dare Not Walk Alone,” by Jeremy Dean. Full film viewings will last approximately one to two hours.
Our facility also houses an adult/children’s library that contains high quality books, including donated books by the Willits Foundation. Included in this library are research books donated by the St. Johns County Public Library System about the civil rights movement and African American studies that enable our visitors to learn more about different periods of our nation’s history. We also house an extensive collection of personal artifacts donated by the late Dr. Robert B. Hayling.
The ACCORD Civil Rights Museum is OPEN TUESDAY – FRIDAY from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Please call or text Liz Duncan at (904) 347-1382 to schedule your appointment.
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