Historic marker puts Ocoee Massacre in perspective

Living in the small town of Ocoee for the past 25 years has been historically intriguing. Unlike most Blacks of the county, region and state, I came to Ocoee with absolutely zero knowledge of its past racial strife. Iwas an American fighting man, a soldier of 10 years in the U.S. Army, when I began my Florida experience as a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Day to na Beach campus.

After getting my degree, Iwas reassigned to the United States Army Operational Test and Evaluation Agency (USAOTEA) and stationed at the Pentagon. The remaining assignments throughout the later years of the military became increasingly more charged with subtle racial innuendo. When Iwas ready to leave the Army as a retired Major, I chose Ocoee as a final destination to call home.

Having lived in Ocoee for 25 years has proven to be almost as challenging as being in the military. Most of the years that I have been here have been spent in the role of a non-partisan community activist with no inclination or taste for politics.

My greatest concern over the past couple of decades has been that of achieving the objective of installing a historic memorial marker in a conspicuous location where it could be observed openly and easily by the public. The realization of that goal will be manifested at Starke Lake at 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 8.

One hundred years too late.

In fact, there should never have been any reason for amemorial marker to be placed anywhere, had any form of justice prevailed on behalf of African Americans during the time of what became known as the Ocoee Massacre.

Since we knowthat did not happen then, it is fairly reasonable to conclude that with the placement of this marker, we have found some semblance of justice at this point in our lives. Yet today, many of the same conditions are still in practice, just displayed in a different manner. They’re disguised and camouflaged with rhetoric and deceit.

My involvement in Ocoee’s past and sordid history began quite by chance. After marriage to a native daughter of Ocoee, who just happened to be white, somewould have predicted thatmy life span would be greatly reduced because I had placedmy fate in the hands of the Klan members. But quite to the contrary, Libby and I have lived undisturbed in the same location without interruptions since 1995 and raised bi-racial son, soon to be 24 years old. Our lives, inmy belief, have been as average as any other person any place else in the city, county, state or region of our country.

I have been engaged as a volunteer in the community and city of Ocoee for nearly allmy years living here— for the West Orange Airport Authority, the Ocoee Policemen and Firemen Retirement Fund and theHuman Relations Diversity Board for the City of Ocoee. During and through those years, I cannot recall any single incident that ever occurred inmy life, or those ofmy wife or son, which has been one of bigotry or unprecedented display of racial biases. There have been no threats or acts of violence committed towards any one of us or the other members of our family.

The realization of the “historically significant” event of installing a Historic MemorialMarker, approved by Florida’s Department of State, is a major achievement in race relations for the City of Ocoee based on its 100-year history of ignoring the facts about ElectionDay 1920. I feel greatly honored to have played a role as a team member of the group who got it done with grace, dignity and decorum.

I believe inmy hometown enough to work tirelessly to see each and every goal accomplished in an outstanding manner.