BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor
On August 28th, the nation will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the historic “March On Washington.” It was at this event that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. More than 250,000 people from around the country converged on Washington, D. C. to attend the event.
The March, which called for equality, jobs, and freedom, was the largest in the history of Washington, D. C.
Many people from the Tampa Bay Area attended the March. Among those were members of the 1963 Tampa NAACP Youth Council.
Ms. Gwendolyn Tim Powell currently resides in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. And although that has been her home for the past 22 years, the Middleton High School graduate frequently visits Tampa and keeps in touch with family and friends.
Bayard Rustin, left, and Cleveland Robinson were organizers of the historic event that took place on Wednesday, August 28, 1963.
During a conversation with one of her friends, Ulysses Brooks, Ms. Powell said they began talking about their youth and time they spent as members of the NAACP Youth Council. They also started wondered what had happened to others.
Ms. Powell remembers the year 1963, because they were among a group of teenagers who drove from Tampa to Washington, D. C., to attend the historic “March On Washington.”
Now, 50 years later, Ms. Powell and Brooks would like to have a reunion of the 1963 NAACP Youth Council. They would like to have the event take place in Tampa during the month of August in line with the historic celebration.
Ms. Powell and Brooks would like to reach out to their advisors, Mr. and Mrs. Charles (Betty) Stanford. They would also like to contact some of the former members to reconnect with them.
Some of those individuals who were members of the Youth Council in 1963 included: Robert McCullough; Ann Marie Sheppard, John Rodriquez, Rovena Thomas, Dave Barfield, Jane Barfield, Patricia Simmons, Maceio McMillan, Terecita Vann and Ramona Vann.
Ms. Powell recalls the trip that some of the members made to Washington, D. C., to participate in the “March On Washington” on August 28, 1963.
“Young and fearless, we embarked on the journey with great faith that our Creator was protecting us all the way. When the station wagon broke down in the middle of the night, though, we did get a ‘little scared’ because we were in Jessup, Georgia. I had never heard of it before, but it was in Georgia, and that was not good, given the racist climate down south at the time.
“Maceio McMillan had some cousins who lived there… Maceio got on the pay phone, and the next thing we knew his cousins had come to take us to their home. They fed us, put us to bed, gave us breakfast the next morning, got the station wagon fixed, and sent us on our way. What a Blessing!”
They had left Tampa with the intention of driving all night to reach Washington, D. C. However, the breakdown resulted in the group arriving in Washington late.
“We rolled into town early on the morning of August 28, 1963. We were all very excited, as we listened to the radio announcers talk about the thousands of people coming into the city! They came by trains, buses, boats, cars and planes!
“Although we missed our Tour of the White House, it was still an awesome life experience! Many of us were just seventeen-years-old and recent high school graduates.”
Prior to the trip, the group of enthusiast teenagers had been very active in the community. They had participated in demonstrations demanding equality and change. “We needed to be a part of this National effort. We just had to be at the March,” she said.
Ms. Powell stated that she is currently not a member of the NAACP because there is not a chapter of the organization in St. Thomas. “But, I’m still an advocate of health disparity and equality.”
Former members of the NAACP Youth Council are asked to contact Ms. Powell by sending a text message with your contact information to 340-514-6600; or an email to: rubytimg@gmail.com.
