Dream Builders

Dream Builders. Voices of the Movement. , "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 - 1968) was an African American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian and leader of the Civil Rights Movement. His religious beliefs, stirring public speeches, and courageous leadership in sit-ins, boycotts, and mass marches inspired a nonviolent movement for racial justice. The movement dismantled legal segregation in the South and Secured the right to vote for untold numbers of disenfranchised African Americans. It further brought an end to the dual system of public education that separated children by race and paved the way for increased political participation and economic opportunity for black citizens. The influence of the mid-twentieth century Civil Rights Movement in America was felt around the world. On December 21, 1965, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). Inspired by Dr. King, this action established a global standard for the treatment of all people, regardless of their skin color. Due to his work in advancing equal rights for all humankind, Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964., Today, the life and legacy of Dr. King is celebrated in diverse ways across the United States. In the late 1970s, local civil rights leaders lobbied the Tallahassee City Commission to name a street in honor of Dr. King. The targeted "Bolivar Street" (later Boulevard Street) was initially named to honor Simón Bolivar, liberator of South America. These leaders succeeded in getting segments of Boulevard Street named to honor Dr. King by the early 1980s and kept working., By 1984, despite opposition from a number of white citizens and businesses, the Tallahassee City Commission named the entire street Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The route now stretches from Palmetto Street, south of Florida A&M University to North Monroe Street. During the 1960s, the boulevard bore nonviolent foot soldiers as they marched north from FAMU to selected downtown civil rights staging sites. Today, it connects people and establishments of widespread diversity., Among Tallahassee residents and groups that embraced Dr. King's vision, Father David Henry Brooks strongly supported nonviolent protests as a means to fight segregation and racial inequality. He became Episcopal Chaplain at FAMU and Vicar of St. Michael and All Saints Episcopal Church in 1947. Along with Reverend Charles Kenzie Steele and other local civil rights leaders, Father Brooks helped to lead nonviolent protests for civil rights, justice, and fair labor practices, including the city's first peaceful civil rights bus boycott in 1956. He also marched, rallied, sat-in, and spoke against racism and discrimination at public gatherings. This strategist also held organizational meetings at his church (southeast of this marker) to plan local protests., Mrs. D. Edwina Stephens was a unique community activist whose ideals and public service mirrored those of Dr. King. A native of Rocky Ford, Georgia, Stephens was a registered nurse with demonstrated political acumen and effective oratory skills. She fought tenaciously for equal city and county services in underserved neighborhoods and for enhanced quality of life for all Leon County citizens. While cultivating partnerships between local citizens, the government, and the local media, Stephens also advocated protecting the natural environment in Tallahassee. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) honored her with the Dr. James Hudson NAACP Citizenship Award. She died in 2011., (captions) , Students and NAACP civil rights members march from FAMU to Florida's Capitol, Downtown Tallahassee, during legislative session in 1964 Tallahassee, Florida. , General photo collection. Courtesy of State Archives of Florida. March 27, 1964. , , Father David Brooks speaking at a Florida State University student's rally in defense of the Quincy Five. , Photograph by Richard Parks, courtesy of the State Archives of Florida, 1970., D. Edwina Stephens, spokesperson and activist for improvement in underprivileged areas of Tallahassee. , Photograph: Courtesy of Dr. Alice Stephens, (sidebar) , Reverend King Solomon Dupont led Fountain Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church as pastor from 1950 to 1958, He later became the Presiding Elder of the Tallahassee District of the AME Church. Grandson of a slave, Rev. Dupont helped to launch the 1956 Bus Boycott that led to the integration of Tallahassee city buses. As one of the founders and the Vice President of the Tallahassee Inter-Civic Council, Dupont organized volunteers who drove their private vehicles to help black residents get to and from work. In 1957, he became the first black Tallahassee candidate to run for city commissioner. Without protection from local law enforcement officers, the brave civil servant and his family endured employment pressures, racial slurs and threats of physical harm. Rev. Dupont died in 1983 at age 80. Tallahassee's King Solomon Drive and Dupont Drive were named to honor the celebrated church and civic leader., (caption) , Portrait of Reverend King Solomon Dupont - Tallahassee, Florida. , General photo collection. Courtesy of the State Archives of Florida. Circa 1900. , To learn more about Tallahassee’s cultural heritage, visit Talgov.com/Heritage