 Civil Rights
Movement in Florida
In the early 1960s something as simple as sitting at a lunch counter
could get you arrested.
The Civil Rights
Movement began when black Americans were not treated with the same
fairness and equality as white Americans. This is called discrimination.
Even after the Civil War ended and slaves were freed by President Lincoln,
it would take black Americans (African Americans) many years and a long,
difficult fight to get what Abraham Lincoln had intended them to have:
equality.
As early as 1904, Florida's
African Americans were working to improve their lives. Segregation forced
blacks and whites to attend different schools and the quality of education
was not as good for black children. As a result, African Americans often
needed to supplement their education by creating their own schools. In
Florida, Mary McLeod Bethune opened the Daytona Literacy and Industrial
Training School for Negro Girls.
In 1909, on the
hundredth anniversary of Lincoln's birth, the NAACP (National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People) was formed. Its founders consisted
of both black and white leaders. Since its creation, the NAACP has
continued to fight for equal rights and the end of racial discrimination
through the use of legal actions and publicity.
In the 1940s, word
began to spread across Florida that racial changes would occur soon. World
War II was being fought in Europe and one focus was to stop Hitler's
racist treatment of the Jews. African Americans were excited by this
movement because if the United States was fighting racism abroad, then it
would definitely want to end racism in its own backyard. The NAACP in
Florida started a campaign called the "Double V": victory against racism
oversees and against racism at home. This campaign focused Florida's
attention on the policy of southern segregation.
After the war ended,
Florida lawmakers created the Minimum Foundations Program for public
schools, which had two purposes. First, the program was designed to
strengthen the education system in Florida. This made Florida more
competitive in attracting new businesses that could create more jobs and
help the economy grow. Second, the program would upgrade black schools in
Florida so that the federal courts would not accuse Florida of having an
unfair, unequal public education system.
There were groups of
white men who resented changes and did not want blacks to have equal
rights. The Ku Klux Klan was one group that lashed out at blacks, and many
of its members were responsible for crimes against African Americans.
African Americans who complained or spoke out about unfair wages or work
conditions were sometimes jailed.
African Americans
such as T. Thomas Fortune and Harry T. Moore continued to fight for civil
rights. They did this by forming groups that publicly objected to laws
that prevented fair treatment. On December 24, 1950, members of the Ku
Klux Klan killed Moore and his wife because of their development of an
NAACP chapter in Brevard County and their campaign to register blacks to
vote in Florida. Although an investi-gation uncovered a network of local
officials, police, and Klan members who were suppressing the rights of the
blacks, no legal action was ever taken. Moore's killers were never brought
to trial.
 In 1954, the Supreme
Court decided to end school segregation. This decision brought with it
changes that swept across Florida. In 1956, two black women were arrested
in Tallahassee for sitting in the front seats of a bus when they were
expected to sit in the back. The entire African American community began a
boycott. This resulted in the revision of many laws and policies. Separate
water fountains, bathrooms, restaurant seating, and hotel rooms
disappeared. African Americans began to see the changes that they had
worked for all their lives.
Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. visited Florida in 1964. He advocated peaceful protest and
organized groups to march in protest. One of these marches took place in
St. Augustine. There were many violent outbursts and confrontations
between the marchers and bystanders who were against integration. This
event led the way for more marches. Eventually, the United States passed a
law called the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed segregation.
The advances of the
Civil Rights Movement influenced other groups as well. The Seminole
Indians developed a Constitution designed to protect their civil rights
and land ownership in Florida. This process helped to make Floridians
aware of Native Americans' unique background and contributions to Florida
history.
In the 1960s,
Florida's large Hispanic community worked for equal rights. They pushed
for higher education and greater involvement in politics and government.
In 1979, Robert "Bob" Martinez became mayor of Tampa, and in 1987 he
became our state's first Hispanic governor.
Women also worked to
increase their opportunities and establish equal rights with men. Because
many people involved with Florida politics did not take women seriously,
this proved to be a difficult task. Throughout the years, however, many
women played important roles in Florida politics. Among them are: May Mann
Jennings, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Marjorie Carr, Gwen Margolis, Gwen
Sawyer Cherry, Toni Jennings, Betty Castor, and Paula Hawkins.
The Civil Rights
Movement in Florida continues to move forward. Whenever discrimination
creates situations where some Floridians are not treated with fairness and
equality, they use the legal process. Public opinion is sometimes
mobilized. The courts consider and resolve the issue. In this way,
Floridians are assured their civil rights as Americans.
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