State Senator Randolph Bracy (D-Ocoee) will be shining a light on a dark part of history today in the Judiciary Committee. SB 1262 and SB 1264 seek to compensate descendants of individuals who were killed, injured, or victimized in the “Ocoee Massacre,” which took place in Ocoee on Election Day in 1920.
The notorious Election Day incident began when a prominent black citizen, Julius “July” Perry, was lynched for attempting to exercise his right to vote. Ocoee’s African American population was forced to abandon their homes and property, or risk a fate similar to July Perry’s at the hands of a deputized mob and local government officials.
According to census records, hundreds of black residents fled as a result of the incident, and an estimated fifty black residents were murdered during the Election Day riot. Given that 2020 will mark the centennial of this horrific tragedy, Senator Bracy will hold a press conference after his presentation in Judiciary to speak about the individuals impacted by this painful legacy.
WHO: State Senator Randolph Bracy (D-Ocoee)
WHAT: Press Conference on SB 1262 and SB 1264
WHERE: Media Room, 304 Capitol Building
WHEN: 1:30 pm on Tuesday, January 21, 2020
