TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Hillsboro County and the city of Tampa are paying tribute to those brave enough to support their racist efforts.
On Thursday, county and city leaders praised Woolworths in downtown Tampa before the 65-year mark since they sat down.
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One of those participants was former state senator Atenia Joyner.
“Many of our community don’t know what happened on this site in downtown Tampa on February 29, 1960,” Joyner said.
Decades later, Joyner returned to the building near East Polk and North Franklin Street. This is the site of the former FW Woolworth Store.
Joyner stood with several other participants, such as Clarence Fort.
“It feels good to be here, to be around and know that I’m still alive to see this happening today,” Fort said.
Fort is a key organizer who led a group of Middleton and Blake high school students to peacefully protest against unfair treatment for their race.
“I’m glad they helped me change things back then. There wasn’t much we could do at the time,” Fort said.
At the ceremony outside the building, county and city leaders thanked these survivors for their actions. Tampa Mayor Jane Custer was one of them.
“As mayor of the world’s greatest city, I will hereby declare Woolworth Sit-Inn Day on March 1, 2025,” Caster said.
Hillsboro Commissioner Harry Cohen has also issued a similar declaration.
Even through health issues in later years, John Billup was with his former classmates to mark moments he would never forget.
“I was really young. All I know is that the pastor asked me to come down,” Billup said.
Next month there will be a stage play called Right Win. The story of the separation efforts at Tampa’s lunch counter will be at Strass Center for the Performing Arts starting next week.
https://www.strazcenter.org/events/2425-season/rental/when-the-righteous-triumph/
