Untold Stories Collection

The Ocoee Massacre of 1920, occurring on November 2-3 in Ocoee, Florida, stands as one of the most violent and tragic episodes of racial violence and voter suppression in 20th-century America. This devastating event unfolded amidst efforts by Black organizations across Florida to conduct voter registration campaigns, challenging systemic racial discrimination and seeking to exercise their right to vote.

Mose Norman, a prosperous Black farmer involved in the voter registration drive in Orange County, attempted to vote in the national election on November 2, 1920, but was turned away from the polls twice. This denial of his right to vote sparked a chain of events that led to horrific violence. Upon leaving the polling place for the second time, a white mob, reportedly numbering up to 100 men, pursued Norman. He sought refuge in the home of another local Black resident, Julius "July" Perry.

The mob descended on Perry's home, intent on capturing both Norman and Perry. Norman managed to escape and was never found, but Perry bravely defended his home. In the ensuing confrontation, Perry fatally shot two white men who attempted to enter his house. Enraged, the mob called for reinforcements from Orlando and surrounding areas of Orange County.

Despite Perry's efforts to protect his home and family, the mob eventually overwhelmed him. Julius Perry was captured, brutally killed, and his body was hung from a telephone post along the highway from Ocoee to Orlando as a grisly warning to others. Perry's wife, Estelle Perry, and their daughter were wounded during the attack and were later sent to Tampa for medical treatment under the protection of local law enforcement.

Following the assault on Perry's home, the mob turned its violence on the broader Black community of Ocoee. Homes and businesses were burned, and Black residents were terrorized and threatened with further violence unless they fled the town immediately. Faced with this extreme danger, the entire African American population of Ocoee was forced to abandon their homes and livelihoods, leaving behind everything they owned.

The aftermath of the Ocoee Massacre saw no justice for the victims. The NAACP, led by Walter White, who conducted an investigation into the massacre, documented the horrors and called for federal intervention and justice. However, their efforts were largely met with indifference from authorities and lawmakers. Despite petitions and appeals for justice, including calls for investigation by the U.S. House Election Committee, no substantive action was taken to address the massacre or the systemic voter suppression that precipitated it.

In recent years, efforts to memorialize the victims and commemorate the Ocoee Massacre have gained traction. On June 21, 2019, a historical marker honoring July Perry and others killed in the massacre was erected in Heritage Square outside the Orange County Regional History Center. This marker serves as a poignant reminder of the atrocities committed during this dark chapter in American history and the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality.