When Okaloosa County’s NAACP chapter was founded, members were scared to admit publicly that they belonged to the organization.
Next weekend they celebrate 65 years of giving a voice to the voiceless.
“This anniversary means a lot of hard work over a long period of time, endurance and staying the course,” said Sabu Williams, president of the Okaloosa County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. “A lot has changed over 65 years. When we started in the 40s, even to be registered to vote, much less have an NAACP card in your pocket, was dangerous.
“Now, we’re one of the oldest branches in the state of Florida and still going strong. That bodes well for our organization and the community that we would still be here.”
Members say the NAACP exists for justice, freedom and to help those who can’t help themselves.
“Dr. Martin Luther King has a quote that ‘Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed,” said Lewis Jennings, the NAACP’s area director. “I joined in 1984 when I became of age so that I could help those people who are still oppressed.”
History of the branch
The local chapter was formed in 1948, and within 10 years had found a cause worth fighting for.
First Lt. Robert L. Williams was accused of breaking Florida law by refusing to sit at the back of a bus while traveling through Crestview on his way to serve in Korea. A court found him guilty and fined him in absentia.
The NAACP filed a lawsuit, but the case was never resolved because Williams died fighting for his country.
In the 1960s, the group worked adamantly to attract younger, more aggressive members, but public promotion was kept low key for fear of segregationists’ threats.
Then in the 1970s, the group filed a class action lawsuit against Eglin Air Force Base, alleging unlawful employment practices and discrimination. A $2.4 million settlement was awarded in the early 1980s for blacks employed at the base while the discrimination was going on.
In the 1990s, the group changed its name from the Fort Walton Beach branch to the Okaloosa County branch to recognize the members who lived across the area. In 1996, the chapter attracted national attention with its Switch to Fight campaign, which saw more than 1,500 Democrats register as Republicans to have a greater voice in local elections.
In 2000, the organization held its first Black Leadership Summit and opened an office on Hollywood Boulevard.
Today, members continue to fight against discrimination and wrongdoing locally and nationally.
“The NAACP is relevant today just as it was in 1909,” when the national organization was founded, Jennings said. “Even though 65 years have passed locally and 100-plus nationally, there are still issues of disparity among minorities. The strategy and process may be different, we may negotiate more than actually protest in the street, but the business of advocacy on behalf of NAACP is still there. We’re fighting issues like the economic environment, justice, politics, criminal justice, education disparity.
“The NAACP is different today, but we still have issues we’re dealing with.”
Celebrating 65 years
The branch will celebrate its anniversary next weekend.
The first event will be a birthday celebration dinner Friday at Northwest Florida State College.
On Saturday, the Legacy Walk of Fame will be unveiled at Chester Pruitt Park to honor the county’s past movers and shakers.
The celebration will conclude Sunday with an original play about King at 5:30 p.m. at the Crestview Community Center on Commerce Drive. The $5 admission will help a local leader with medical bills.
“We have been working and planning for years to honor those people who worked in this community for years before we even got here,” Williams said. “I’m wise enough to know that from 1948 to now a lot of people who did some work and suffered for a cause paved a way for us.
“This is for everyone, from the civil rights leader to the grandmother who made sure a child had lunch every day.”
“We have some great things planned all over the county,” Williams added. “For us, 40 years ago we were marching and now we’re sitting at the same table with community leaders.
“We don’t win everything we ask for, but we do fight.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.