Palm Beach County African Diaspora Historical & Cultural Society
Oral History ProjecT
The Palm Beach County African Diaspora Historical & Cultural Society’s goal is to preserve firsthand accounts of events and cultural heritage through recorded interviews.
In 2020, the PBCADHCS initiated the Oral History and Historical Collections Project to gather information and record key events about the history and development of life in Palm Beach County; highlighting and detailing the life and times of Black Palm Beach County residents and Black educational institutions, religion, and social life.
The mission of the Palm Beach County African Diaspora Historical and Cultural Society (PBCADHCS) is to empower, affirm and connect all people of the African Diaspora.
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Mr. Norman George Walker was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. His family has been a part of the community for more than 100 years. He is a graduate of Roosevelt High School, class of 1960. After high school, Mr. Walker went to Bethune Cookman University and graduated in 1964. He later got two master degrees from Florida Atlantic University and Nova Southeastern University. He was an educator, principal at U.B. Kinsey/Palmview Elementary School, and administrator for the Palm Beach County School District.
“Our social life here in West Palm as far as Blacks, there was nothing missing…because although we couldn’t go to the white clubs, whites would come to our clubs; especially when they had top entertainment…World renowned…like Louis Armstrong at the Sunset so it’s open for everybody. We did not discriminate against other people, but although we were discriminated against.” (Norman Walker on social life in the community)
Ms. Addie Lee Davis Hudson was born in Delray Beach, Florida, in 1926. She is a graduate as the valedictorian of Carver High School, class of 1944. She then received a full scholarship to Bethune Cookman University and graduated with honors in 1948. Ms. Hudson was an educator for the Palm Beach County School District for 37 years. She participated in the Florida Teachers’ Strike of 1968, which occurred in response to Florida legislators failing to properly fund public education.
“When I went to Seacrest I found out, I was chair of the Student Council for a couple of years or more and I got paid for that. But I didn’t get paid for any service that I did at Carver, and I was in practically every program we had at Carver, I was part of it and we didn’t get paid. And we didn’t ever get new books. We all had old books. The kids would say to me, “Mrs. Hudson, who’s John Jones?” And I said, “what you mean?” They’d say, “in the books.” I said, “the books came over from the white school.” I said, “well we’re going to have to use them.” I said, “I’ll do the best I can with them to update them.” (Addie Hudson, p.10)
Ms. Jean Carolyn Perry Dunham was born in Kelsey City (now Lake Park), Florida. She is the daughter of civil rights activist William Frank Perry. Ms. Durham is a graduate of Roosevelt High School, class of 1954. Ms. Dunham describes New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, in West Palm Beach, Florida, as a significant place in the community. The Church is where NAACP presence got a start in the community.
“Now my father was…a leader and he made sure that the NAACP, that was one of the meeting places there and once he saw that we needed something like that, he was instrumental in getting it started. He…started with the meetings there at the church and it soon branched out to other buildings, but mostly it was the church where they met and they had their meetings.” (Jean Dunham on civil rights activism and religious institutions’ role in the community, New Bethel Missionary Baptist, WPB, FL)
Ms. Georgia Maurice Smith Gilbert was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1935. She is a graduate of Roosevelt High School, class of 1954, and was the first female elected president of the Student council. Ms. Gilbert was a dedicated service member of the American Legion Post 199, which provided a space for veterans to have a social life along with their families. Since the age of eight, Ms. Gilbert has been a member of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
“Now, let me tell you a little bit about our journey to Roosevelt high school. It was in 1950. We went out…well ‘49…we went out for the Christmas holidays. When we came back, we came back and reported in at Industrial High School which is now known as Palmview Elementary school. They called our classes, class-by-class and number-by-limb. I remember the walk. We lined up on the corner of Palm Beach Lakes, which was 12th street at that time, and division avenue. We walked down division avenue to 15th street. We walked over 15th street to Tamarind avenue, and guess what was greeting us? A brand-new high school, Roosevelt High School. We were so excited to be in a brand-new school with new furniture and everything. Therefore, we had a new school, a good experience in our school and everything was brand new for the first time that I can remember.” (Georgia Gilbert)
Mr. Dan Wallace Calloway was born in Riviera Beach, Florida, in 1938. He is a graduate of Roosevelt High School, class of 1956. Mr. Calloway coached countless sports for over 40 years, impacting the lives of many youth and adults. An Army veteran, through Mr. Calloway’s services, he traveled to several countries throughout the world. He was the first black manager of the 7th Army Sports Command baseball team. Before being drafted into military service, Mr. Calloway played professional baseball.
“I wanted to play baseball, because my best friend was — who set all records, was Michael Franks. Michael Franks set all records at Roosevelt and Industrial High as a pitcher, he graduated in the class of 52.” (Dan Calloway)
Mr. William Meredith Holland, Jr. was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1950. He is the son of William Meredith Holland, Sr., from Live Oak, Florida. His father was a crucial figure in integrating schools, the turnpike, the golf course, the graveyard, and restaurants in Palm Beach County. Mr. Holland’s family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1956. He is a graduate of Palm Beach High School, class of 1968. After high school, Mr. Holland went to the University of Florida, where he was one of 57 black students in the entire university.
“Well first of all, you know, my father integrated the Palm Beach County School System. He had to wait until I turned the age of 6 so I could be of standing. Well, let’s go back a little. What happened was that when Brown vs. School Board of Topeka which said that separate but equal was not legit, was unconstitutional. My father took me to Northboro Elementary when I turned 6 and I always remembered that because when we walked up to the steps all the white kids were looking at us and when we got to the door, the door was locked. They had anticipated that, so him, Malcolm Cunningham and I.C. Smith had already drawn the papers and when that happened, that’s when we filed a lawsuit against the Palm Beach County School Board, which was filed in 1956, and it took forever actually to win that case. So…and once the schools did integrate, the reason we live where we live now, where I live now, 520 17th street, is because, technically, the south side of 17th Street was the white section of town and the north side was the Black section so we moved there so I would be in the school zone to go to that school; but then what they did was move the line behind our house so I [laughs] we couldn’t’ go there. But eventually, we got in and…Papa he also integrated the turnpike, the golf course, the graveyard, restaurants; whole lot of little things.” (Bill Holland)