Eula Johnson Explained

Eula Johnson
Birth Name:Eula Mae Gandy Johnson
Occupation:activist
Known For:Fort Lauderdale NAACP leader
Honors:Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park

Eula Mae Gandy Johnson[1] (1906–2001) was an American activist in the civil rights movement. She is known for her work to end Jim Crow segregation in public beaches, schools, restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[2] She was considered by many to be the "Rosa Parks of Fort Lauderdale."[3] [4]

Advocacy

In 1959, she became the first woman president of the Fort Lauderdale NAACP.[5] In her capacity as president, she filed several lawsuits against public schools to seek equality for black students, as well as fought against separation in public spaces like drive-in theaters.[6] Part of her activism work resulted in the end of segregation at Broward County beaches. Johnson, along with Dr. Von D. Mizell and several NAACP members, organized "wade-ins" at the white only beaches in 1961. The city of Fort Lauderdale sued Johnson for being a public nuisance.[7] After a judge refused the city's request to put a halt to the wade-ins, Broward County beaches became desegregated in 1962.[8]

Legacy

Johnson died in January 2001 at the age of 94.[1]

In 2011, her house, at 1100 Sistrunk Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, became Fort Lauderdale/Broward Branch NAACP headquarters as well as a museum and welcome center for the historic Sistrunk Corridor.[9]

Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in Hollywood, Florida is named after her and fellow civil rights activist Dr. Von Mizell.[10]

References

  1. News: Blazing a path. Toni Marshall. February 20, 2004. March 17, 2019. Sun-Sentinel. Gregory Lewis. March 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190328203345/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2004-02-20-0402200079-story.html. live.
  2. Spencer. DeShuna. Summer 2008. Fort Lauderdale NAACP Opens Museum to Honor Civil Rights Activist. The Crisis. 115. 3. 49. .
  3. News: Eula Johnson arrived, Jim Crow had to go. Roby. Cynthia. 2012. South Florida Times.
  4. News: Lauderdalte honors rights trailblazer Sistrunk Blvd. home of Eula Johnson will become museum. Wyman. Scott. March 9, 2011. South Florida Sun - Sentinel.
  5. Web site: Eula Johnson arrived, Jim Crow had to go. Beatty. Robert. 2012-01-16. South Florida Times. 2019-03-17. 2019-03-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20190328230834/http://www.sfltimes.com/uncategorized/eula-johnson-arrived-jim-crow-had-to-go. live.
  6. News: Nolin . Robert . 2 black activists fought to end segregation . March 17, 2019 . Sun-Sentinel . June 11, 2015 . March 28, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190328215106/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/broward-centennial/fl-johnson-brow100-20150623-story.html . live .
  7. News: Fort Lauderdale honors civil rights pioneer. Wyman. Scott. 16 Mar 2011. Miami Times.
  8. News: Beatty . Robert . Broward county to commemorate "the colored beach" . March 17, 2019 . South Florida Times . February 12, 2009 . March 28, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190328220610/http://www.sfltimes.com/uncategorized/broward-county-to-commemorate-the-colored-beach . live .
  9. News: Home of Civil Rights Pioneere Dedicated as a Museum. Robert. Beatty. July 7, 2011. SouthFlorida Times. August 26, 2019. August 26, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190826173401/http://www.sfltimes.com/uncategorized/home-of-civil-rights-pioneer-dedicated-as-a-museum. live.
  10. Web site: John U. Lloyd State Park renamed for civil rights activists. Sweeney. Anne. Geggis. Dan. Sun-Sentinel.com. 7 April 2016. 2019-03-17. 2019-04-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20190401003352/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-john-lloyd-state-park-von-mizell-eula-johnson-20160406-story.html. live.

Further reading

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Eula Johnson".

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