Florida’s African American Historical Tidbits

Fact(s) for Tuesday, May 13, 2008

February 1, 1929:
Internationally acclaimed tenor Roland Hayes performed at Florida A&M College before an audience of more than 2,000 people. More than 500 guests were white, including Florida’s 24th Governor, Doyle Carlton, and other state officials.

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February 1, 1970:
The United States Supreme Court set this date as the deadline for Florida to implement desegregation procedures in all its public schools. Florida Governor, Claude Kirk, and other state officials argued earlier before the high court that the state needed more time because it was not financially or physically prepared to implement desegregation procedures. After hearing their arguments, on January 14, the court ordered that immediate desegregation of schools proceed as scheduled and set a deadline of February 1 for all desegregation procedures to began. Panama City was one of the few school districts to fully comply with the order.

Question of the Day

Who was born on November 16, 1899 in Ansonia, Connecticut and became the first African American to graduate Ansonia High School in 1917? 

Enter Answer here: