The history of racial inequality in the Sunshine State is a somber story but one worth exploring
While the Civil Rights Movement may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to Florida, there is plenty of racial inequality history to be discovered and learned in this southeasternmost U.S. state. Florida was home to a number of pioneering activists, including Mary McLeod Bethune and James Weldon Johnson. Additionally, there are five Florida cities that are included in the U.S. Civil Rights Trail: Mims, Panama City, Sarasota, St. Augustine and Vero Beach.
Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Memorial and Museum in Florida
Located in Mims, this community park honors the Moores, who were leaders in the civil rights movement both locally and nationally. The couple was murdered for their involvement in the movement when a bomb exploded under their home. Dedicated to the celebration of their lives, the park, on the site of the original Moore home, includes a museum, cultural center, library and a Civil Rights Trail, which includes kiosks providing historical information.
Newton African American Heritage Trail
While no strangers to racially segregated public spaces, African American residents of Newton in Sarasota let their displeasure to this injustice be known in 1951 with requests to access Lido Beach. When their request was ignored, they began “wade-ins.” The Newton African American Heritage Trail lets you trace the route these activists took when they carpooled to local beaches. The trail includes 15 historical markers commemorating Newton’s role in racial integration.
Florida’s Jackie Robinson Training Complex
In 1948, the year after Dodgers legend Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier, Dodgers co-owner and general manager Branch Rickey founded Dodgertown, a 220-acre development in Vero Beach. Here, all players, regardless of race, could play, eat and live together in preparation for the season. Dodgertown was the first fully integrated MLB spring training site in the South. In 2014, Dodgertown was named a Florida Heritage Landmark for its importance in the civil rights movement. Now known as Jackie Robinson Training Complex, it’s an all-inclusive complex where teams can train and stay together.
National Historic Preservation District
In St. Augustine, it was in the neighborhood churches, businesses and parks where planning took place for important marches in protest of racial segregation. Supported by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as well as many prominent activists, including Marth Luther King Jr., Andrew Young and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, the peaceful protests that followed garnered national attention. Explore the area along the Accord Freedom Trail with a self-guided audio tour that includes more than 31 historical civil rights markers, including the Plaza de la Constitucion, Foot Soldiers Monument and Andrew Young Crossing.
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