Details of Ocoee Massacre 100-year anniversary event revealed

The plans for the memorial event of the 100-year anniversary of the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre are coming together.

In a presentation during the Dec. 3 Ocoee city commission meeting, William Maxwell — who is a past chair of the city’s Human Relations and Diversity Board — discussed the plans for the memorial event to mark the 100-year anniversary of the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre. The event — which will take place the weekend of Nov. 1, 2020 — also will honor the memory of Julius “July” Perry, who was taken from his home in West Orange County by a white mob and lynched in Orlando during that tragic moment in history.

On Nov. 2, 1920, and for weeks that followed, African-American residents who lived in and around the area West Orange County that eventually became the City of Ocoee were subjected to horrors committed by white residents and government officials simply because they wanted to vote. That day became known as the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre.

Prior to Maxwell’s presentation, Commissioner George Oliver proposed that The Commission move the date of Founder’s Day 2020, which is scheduled for Nov. 6 and 7. His reasoning behind the proposal involved a proclamation the city issued in 2018 that acknowledges the horrific events of the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre, and called for the city to honor the 100-year anniversary of the tragic event during the first weekend in November. However, the HRDB already selected a date for the 100-year anniversary for the weekend of Nov. 1.

“Let me share with you the rationale of the selection of 1 November,”  Maxwell said. “At the time that this consensus was reached, we weren’t really sure the concept of a memorial marker was going to fly, and I was hell bent that I would not stand idly by and allow this ticking time scale to elapse to a 100 year mark before something positive was done. I want to be able to say to the audience ‘100 years ago tomorrow is when all of this evil, dastardly terror lynching took place.’ I don’t want to look back on the anniversary date — the 100-year anniversary date — and refer to it then because I believe it gives credibility to the leadership of this city to say, ‘We waited a long time, but we didn’t wait 100 years.’” 

Maxwell said the 100-year anniversary event is dedicated to honoring “the memory of the African American Citizens whose lives and property — or properties — were taken during 2 to 3 November 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre.” 

“I think this is one of the most serious events that could ever be touched up in the history of this (city),” Maxwell said. “This is not a time and a day of festivities and frivolities. We’re talking about lives that were forever lost. … This (event) is (meant to) publicly proclaim an end to the 100-year age-old drama of Ocoee’s sordid and racist history beginning with acts of violence and terror lynchings of the African Americans who attempted to exercise their constitutional right to vote.”

The 100-year anniversary event will be treated as a day of remembrance. A procession will be held along with choir performances from the Orlando Choral Society. A candle-lighting ceremony involving 100 LED candles also will be held during the procession and in addition to the choir performances. Those candles will be held by 100 local elementary students who will act as candle bearers. The event also will include a memorial service as well as some words from multiple guest speakers.

As part of the anniversary event, a historical marker will be installed in the city to educate citizens and to honor those affected during that tragic moment in history. The application for that historical marker was reviewed and approved by the Department of State’s Florida Historical Marker Council on Nov. 22. Cost of the historical marker would be $2,010 if the text is one side of it, or $2,330 for text on both sides, Maxwell said.

“The administrative details affiliated with getting the order (for the historical marker) off the ground is now in process,” Maxwell said. “All things being considered, we probably will get this monument completed within a six- to eight-week timeframe depending on the number issues —  or other items of that nature — that they have to deal with, but we have that approval (from the state).”

Barbara Bey is a granddaughter of people who were victimized killed in the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre, and she appeared before the commission after Maxwell's presentation. She talked about her grandfather being killed and her grandmother running through the swamps of West Orange County to seek refuge in Orlando, and she voiced concerns over the 100-year anniversary event occurring in close proximity to the date of Founders’ Day.

“I wanted to share this brief synopsis with you about my beloved grandparents … so that you will hopefully see how the Founders’ Day celebration clashing with the massacre memorial service is troubling,” Bey said. “Some of us are troubled by the … conflation of them in a similar time frame — even within the month of November there could be a separation.”

Stephen Nunn is the great grandson of July Perry. He also appeared before the commission after Maxwell’s presentation to comment on 100-year anniversary event.

“We are excited for the efforts and the energy that’s being put forth not only in the memorial process of laying of the (historical) marker here, but also in the things that’s (taking) place,” Nunn said. “There will never, ever be true reconciliation until there is acknowledgment, and acknowledgement is not always a singular moment or time. … It takes time to heal, and while you may feel better, sometimes you have scars to remind you that you had that trauma. … We are moving aggressively to collaborate, to partner and to do whatever we need to do and play whatever part we can to assist and to support as everyone is attempting to do. And so, that’s really what matters, and that’s what we want to see. And I just want to say thank you for what you are doing and thank you for the conversations you’ve had.”