Breakdown:

1. Election Day 1920: A Deadly Pushback Against Black Voters in Ocoee
   On Election Day in Ocoee, Florida, Black residents attempting to vote were met with brutal resistance. Despite exercising their legal right to vote, they faced calculated violence, highlighting the intense racial discrimination of the time.
2. The KKK’s Role in Suppressing Black Voters
   The Ku Klux Klan had a strong presence, marching through Ocoee before Election Day and declaring that Black residents would not be allowed to vote. This intimidating display foreshadowed the violence to come, reinforcing the racial terror tactics commonly used to disenfranchise Black communities.
3. Moses Norman’s Brave Stand and Retaliation
   Moses Norman, a Black man determined to secure voting rights, attempted to vote and demanded that other Black citizens be allowed to vote as well. He even planned to bring a lawsuit against the city. This defiant act led to a violent response, as local white residents, deputized by the sheriff, escalated the conflict.
4. The Lynching of July Perry as a Warning
   Another Black man, July Perry, was targeted and killed in a brutal act meant to send a chilling message. After being shot and kidnapped, Perry was lynched in Orlando, his body left hanging as a warning to other Black residents not to challenge the status quo.
5. The Massacre and Forced Exodus of Black Residents
   Following the violence, the Black residents of Ocoee were either killed or forcibly expelled from the town. Homes and businesses were burned to the ground, and hundreds of Black residents were displaced. Approximately 500 Black residents were driven out, and the town remained effectively segregated for decades.
6. A Town Without Black Residents for Over 60 Years
   The events of 1920 created a chilling effect, leading to a 60-year absence of Black residents in Ocoee. It wasn’t until the late 20th century that Black families began to resettle, marking a gradual reclamation of space that had been violently taken from them.
7. Remembering the Ocoee Massacre: A Forgotten History
   The Ocoee Massacre serves as a stark reminder of the violent barriers Black communities faced in exercising their civil rights. Often overlooked in history, this tragic event underscores the lengths to which white supremacists went to maintain racial dominance and disenfranchise Black voters.

Final Thought:

The Ocoee Massacre exemplifies the severe consequences Black Americans faced for attempting to exercise their voting rights. By remembering these events, we acknowledge the resilience of Black communities and the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality.