Dania Beach in Broward County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Colored Beach at Dr. Von D. Mizell - Eula Johnson State Park
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, April 30, 2025
1. Colored Beach at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Marker
African Americans living in South Florida in the early part of the 20th century drove from as far away as Palm Beach and Miami to use Fort Lauderdales beaches but met with significant resistance from oceanfront property owners. On May 14, 1946, a delegation from the Negro Professional and Business Mens League, Inc., petitioned the Board of County Commissioners seeking a public bathing beach for colored people in Broward County. In 1954, the county finally acquired a barrier island site, designated it for segregation, and promised to make the beach accessible, but a road was never built. In response, Eula Johnson, Dr. Von D. Mizell and many others led a series of protest wade-ins on all-white public beaches. In July 1962, the City of Fort Lauderdale requested an injunction to end the wade-ins. The court disagreed with the municipalitys position and entered an order in favor of defendants, thus launching a larger civil rights movement that soon brought integration to local schools. The park has had a few names but on July 1, 2016, the parks name was changed to honor our local black leaders, whose historic actions forever
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A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2023 by The Florida State Parks System and The Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1247.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical date for this entry is May 14, 1946.
Location. 26° 4.896′ N, 80° 6.626′ W. Marker is in Dania Beach, Florida, in Broward County. It can be reached from North Ocean Drive 2 miles north of Florida Route A1A. Located near the 'Manatee' pavilion and Whiskey Creek Hideout in Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6503 N Ocean Dr, Dania FL 33004, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South Florida, on the Gold Coast, and in Greater Miami. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, April 30, 2025
2. Colored Beach at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Captain Joshua James (approx. 1.1 miles away); Fated Barks (approx. 1.1 miles away); Mackey Airlines, Inc. (approx. 2.1 miles away); Evergreen Cemetery (approx. 2.2 miles away); Third Fort Lauderdale (approx. 2.2 miles away); Indian Haulover (approx. 2.2 miles away); In Memory of All American Veterans (approx. 2.6 miles away); Fort Lauderdale Beaches Wade-Ins (approx. 2.6 miles away).
Another marker is no longer nearby. Colored Beach at John U. Lloyd State Park (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
More about this marker. Marker replaces an earlier marker entitled Colored Beach at John U. Lloyd State Park.
Also see . . . John U. Lloyd State Park to become Dr. Von D. Mizell - Eula Johnson State Park. (Submitted on May 8, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 211 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 8, 2025, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
