TALLAHASSEE – What began as a single-minded determination to recognize a little-known corridor bordered to the south by Jacksonville culminated on Tuesday in unanimous Senate passage of landmark legislation establishing the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
Sponsored by Senator Anthony “Tony” Hill, Sr. (D-Jacksonville), HB 523 will for the first time pay tribute to leaders in Florida’s struggle for equality by creating a public display in their honor within the columned walls of the state Capitol.
The members will be nominated by the Florida Commission on Human Relations and selected by the Governor.
“The mission to create this tribute grew out of my work to publicize the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor,” said Sen. Hill. “The homeland of the descendants of slaves, this corridor that extends to Jacksonville still preserves the culture of a people who were brought from West Africa to work in the southern rice fields. They are unique in that their deep traditions remained unbroken despite their early bondage, and still thrive today. The homeland is not only historical but even recognized by Congress, yet it remains largely unknown by Floridians.
“My hope is that the creation of the Hall of Fame within the Capitol will help showcase the unsung heroes and the forgotten places that played pivotal roles in the civil rights movement. The public will now see a fuller view of the rich history that shaped our people and our state.”
The Hall of Fame legislation was sponsored in the House by Rep. Alan Williams (D-Tallahassee) and passed by that chamber last week. Sen. Hill credited the collaboration with Rep. Williams, along with Reverend Joseph Wright of Jerusalem Baptist Church in Tallahassee for laying the bill’s foundation.
HB 523 now heads to the governor for signature.
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Michelle DeMarco
Press Secretary
Florida Senate Democratic Office
850-487-5833
For Hill’s Bio > Click here
