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Decades After KKK Threats, Family Pushes to Honor Trailblazer Leroy Johnson
Leroy Johnson’s son is pushing to rename a street after his father to honor his civil rights work and business leadership despite past violence from the Ku Klux Klan.
- Family members renewed efforts to rename Southwest 12th Avenue during Black History Month after last year's proposal failed to get enough votes, aiming to honor civil-rights leader Leroy Johnson.
- Having learned business in Harlem, Johnson served as a civil-rights leader, businessman and philanthropist, but many Ocala residents still do not recognize his name, Larry said.
- Before running businesses, Johnson served as one of the first Black Marion County deputies, and in 1974 the Ku Klux Klan attempted to firebomb Gates Gas Station, Larry Johnson said.
- If approved, the street rename would install a permanent sign in Ocala, making Reverend Leroy Johnson's name hard to overlook, as the family says.
- Having reached national and international audiences, the family notes that Leroy Johnson's story has gained wider recognition as they plan to reintroduce the street renaming proposal next month.
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Koco News5+14 Reposted by 14 other sources
Decades after KKK threats, family pushes to honor trailblazer Leroy Johnson
Leroy Johnson in Ocala faced threats from the Ku Klux Klan while building economic opportunities for Black families.
·Oklahoma City, United States
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Total News Sources16
Leaning Left0Leaning Right0Center15Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Center
Bias Distribution
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