Description

A landmark study of Black political leadership in Florida, this book uncovers the powerful legacy of African American officeholders who shaped the post-Civil War South against overwhelming odds.

Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867-1924 by Canter Brown Jr. is the first comprehensive, statewide study of African American political leadership in Florida during the post-Civil War and early Jim Crow eras. Drawing on extensive archival research, Brown identifies nearly 1,000 Black officeholders and provides detailed biographical sketches of more than 600 individuals. These leaders--many inspired by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and supported by national labor movements--held positions ranging from local council members to state legislators. The book not only highlights their political achievements but also explores the personal and systemic challenges they faced. With over 40 portraits and an appendix organized by political subdivision, this volume is an essential reference for scholars of African American history, Southern politics, and Reconstruction studies.