St. Augustine Record Editorial: Civil Rights Act is rooted in city's history

Published on StAugustine.com (http://staugustine.com)

Civil Rights Act is rooted in city's history
Created 07/02/2010 - 12:00am

Today marks the 46th anniversary of the passage of the U.S. Civil Rights Act, more than an event celebrated from afar by many St. Johns County residents who were foot soldiers in the movement in the summer of 1964.

On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the bill into law. It was an historic moment for St. Augustine's African-Americans and their white supporters from around the United States. Civil rights leader and former UN ambassador Andrew Young says St. Augustine's experiences were pivotal its passage. This was the last staging ground for civil rights demonstrations before the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill that June. In the weeks leading up to that vote, St. Augustine was the scene of nightly demonstrations in the Plaza. On June 11, the Monson Restaurant was the only place in Florida where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested (on trespassing charges) as he and his followers tried to enter the restaurant. Today's local celebration is a sold-out event held since 2007 by 40th ACCORD, founded in 2003 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1964 civil rights movement here. We welcome U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, an original Freedom Rider and an organizer for the 1963 March on Washington, D.C., and Dr. Kathryn Fentress, Bellingham, Wash., who was arrested with King at the Monson and jailed for five days.

We recognize 40th ACCORD and Northrop Grumman Corp., again for its major effort to bring to fruition the long-held dream of markers denoting the community's significant civil rights history. There are 30 markers donated by Northrop Grumman and one by Beth Levenbach.

But, we are reminded that there is still much progress to be made in equality around the country. We believe St. Augustine and St. Johns County continue to lead the way. Some notable examples of the past 40 years include elections of African- Americans to the St. Johns County Commission, School Board, St. Augustine City Commission and Hastings City Commission. In 1984, St. Johns elected Otis Mason, a long-time educator and leader in civil rights, as our first African-American in that post. Today Mason continues to serve as a volunteer in public and private groups.

African-American history in our community is not hidden anymore.

Major examples are:

* 40th ACCORD/Northrop Grumman/Beth Levenbach history markers.

* Regular trolley tours through Lincolnville, the city's earliest African-American community, and specialty tours first created by historian David Nolan.

* Excelsior Museum and Cultural Center, the city's first African-American history museum, opened in 2005 by Friends of Excelsior School.

* Fort Mose Historic State Park on U.S.1 North, 1738 location of the first free black town in today's U.S.

* St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Remembrance sculpture to be placed in the city's Plaza de la Constitucion.

* The 2006 award-winning documentary, "Dare Not Walk Alone," by former Flagler College student, Jeremy Dean, about the civil rights movement.

* Recent donation by Young of his civil rights archives to Flagler College. Young's film, "Crossing in St. Augustine," made its debut here.

* The recent launch of 40th ACCORD's development of a St. Augustine civil rights museum.

There are some who still wish our city's darkest period of unrest in the 20th century would be forgotten. We hope there will always be a special celebration here for the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and memorials, museums and tours to keep that era alive. Our civil rights history is linked forever to our past, present and future.