OCOEE, Fla. – Ocoee city leaders signed an apology letter Wednesday more than 100 years after Black people were killed in the Ocoee Massacre fighting for their right to vote. Many of the stories of the Ocoee Massacre went untold for a century. The great grand-niece of July Perry, one of the men killed during the Ocoee Massacre, said she appreciates the apology but believes there’s still way more to be done. “I am asking for a change.”McWhite went on to say those changes could include more acknowledgement and respect for what happened in Ocoee. Read more about the events hosted by the city of Ocoee to pay tribute to the Black people killed in the Ocoee Massacre here.

The Ocoee Massacre, the day when dozens of African-Americans were killed by a white mob after Moses Norman tried to legally cast his ballot in the city. On Monday, Orlando and Orange County leaders met with descendants of the victims killed in the tragedy at a new exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center. “To know that a loved one was lynched, for no reason -- senseless -- that is not something that you talk about day to day,” McWhite said. On Wednesday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings declared Nov. 2 as “The Descendants of the Ocoee Massacre: Honoring their Ancestors Day” in Orange County. Ron DeSantis also issued a proclamation designating Nov. 2, 2020 as 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre Remembrance Day in Florida.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – In addition to Election Day, Florida is just days away from marking 100 years since an important yet dark moment in Central Florida’s history: The Ocoee Massacre. A new exhibit, entitled “Yesterday this was Home” at the Orange County Regional History Center showcases the events that surround the Ocoee Massacre. “The Ocoee Massacre is a really dynamic event to talk about,” she said. “One of the hardest things about the Ocoee Massacre is how many versions of the story exist. The exhibit comes after a strong push throughout the state to raise awareness on the Ocoee Massacre, including mandating the events be taught in Florida schools.

In just a few months, Flordia will mark 100 years since 50 Black men were shot and killed in Ocoee as they sought to exercise their right to vote, a tragic piece of history known as the Ocoee Massacre. One-by-one would-be Black voters were turned away either by threats of violence or by poll workers who found their names mysteriously absent from the voter registration rolls, ZEP reported. Pollsters instructed them to get documentation from notary public R. C. Biegelow to verify that they were indeed registered to vote. A man named Mose Norman was determined not to return home without his vote being counted, so he sought counsel from a local judge after being turned away from his Ocoee precinct. Perry was captured by the KKK, and according to the History Center, and was lynched.