migration to Florida

In memoriam: William E. Brodie (1934-2024).

“William ‘Bill’ Brodie — civil rights hero, math teacher — remembered in Tallahassee”

by Alaijah Brown, Tallahassee Democrat, 13 December 2024.

William “Bill” Brodie, a retired Florida A&M University math professor and civil rights activist, died in his sleep Saturday, Nov. 30, at a hospital in Celebration after respiratory failure.

The death was confirmed by his family. He was 90.

Brodie, active in many causes in Tallahassee but who shunned center stage, was known as a quiet hero to many. A strong advocate for protecting civil and human rights, he once shared an Atlanta jail cell with civil rights icon the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1960, following an arrest after a protest.

The Tallahassee Branch NAACP will honor his work and commitment with a celebration of life service at 12 p.m. on Dec. 20 at its headquarters at 719 W. Brevard St. Brodie served for 27 years as the treasurer for the Tallahassee NAACP branch.

“His legacy was one of commitment and it was clear that he was committed because of the impact that segregation and racism had on his life. He was able to be successful in spite of those things that he faced,” Tallahassee NAACP President Mutaqee Akbar told the Tallahassee Democrat.

Brodie remembered for dedication to causes

“I think my dad lived out loud, and he lived his truth out loud, and he was a champion for social justice,” his daughter Michelle Vereen of Marietta, Georgia, told the Tallahassee Democrat Wednesday. “He was really dedicated to education. He was a lifelong educator, even in death.”

Vereen told the Tallahassee Democrat that her father arranged to have his body donated to the University of Florida for research purposes.

Brodie, who also served several terms as treasurer for the board at the Bond Community Health Center over a span of 20 years, is fondly remembered for his dutiful dedication to its mission.

“He was instrumental in assuring that Bond remained fiscally sound. He will be hard to replace and sorely missed. It was my pleasure working with him,” Bond CEO Dr. Temple Robinson said.

In March, Brodie was honored at the 2024 Southeastern Conference for the Mathematical Association of America at the University of Tennessee after it was uncovered that he was one of four men who were turned away from the association’s 1960 conference’s host hotel in Columbia, South Carolina, because they were Black.

Brodie never had a ‘chip on his shoulder’

Brodie was a 27-year-old graduate student at Atlanta University (now Clark-Atlanta University) studying mathematics at the time. Instead of rerouting to a “colored” hotel in the city, the group decided to head back to Atlanta.

Sixty-four years later, he was honored by the prestigious association and issued a formal apology for the injustice committed against him.

In an interview in March ahead of the recognition, Brodie remained reflective.

“I was surprised and pleasantly so,” he said of the invitation. “I had no idea how they found me and that what I did then would come out now.”

That response is characteristic of Brodie’s demeanor, Akbar said: “It’s important to know that he continued to fight for social justice without having a chip on his shoulder.”

A passion for learning, encouraging

Brodie earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1958 [sic; 1955]. He graduated from Atlanta University with his master’s degree in mathematics in 1969. He then went on to study at the University of Georgia, Vanderbilt University and Indiana University, but never earned a doctorate degree, though he said that was never his goal.

He simply wanted to attend class and learn.

The mathematician landed in Tallahassee in 1979 and began teaching calculus at FAMU where he was a mentor to many. He retired in 2006, but remained active on campus in roles of advising students and tutoring scholarship recipients so they could stay on track to graduate.

In addition to Vereen, who lives in Marrietta, Georgia, Brodie is survived by his two other adult children, Lisa Norwood, who lives in Augusta, Georgia, and Brian Bynum who lives in Virginia, and five grandchildren.

“He was an unconventional parent but had high standards for his children and he supported us in meeting those high standards and expectations,” Norwood said.

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In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Henry Taborn, “dead”; wife Mattie, 45, cleaner; sons Bill, 21, Donnell, 17, and Berkley, 19; daughter Elmer Brodie, 27, cook; and her sons George, 8, Henry, 7, Robert, 3, and William Brodie, 5.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 909 East Green Street, Elma Brodie, 38; sons William, 16, and Robert, 13; and lodger Sam Ines [Ennis], 53, widower.

The Falcon (1955), yearbook of Saint Augustine’s College, Raleigh, N.C.

The obituary of Jonas Bynum of Saint Petersburg, Florida.

Tampa Bay Times, 9 March 1962.

 Tampa Bay Times, 10 March 1962. 

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On 27 December 1911, Jonas Bynum, 25, of Gardners township, married Bessie Pittman, 19, of Gardners township, in Gardners township, Wilson County.

In 1917, Jonas Bynum registered for the World War I draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 6 August 1886 in Wilson County and farmed for H.D. Lane.

In the 1920 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: Jonas Bynum, 34, farmer; wife Bessie, 27; and cousin Johnnie Harris, 22.

In an article headed “Pinellas Fair Awards” published in the 27 January 1933 issue of the Tampa Bay Times, Bessie Bynum of Saint Petersburg was identified as winner in the chocolate cake category.

In the 1934 Saint Petersburg, Florida, city directory: Bynum Jonas (c; Bessie) lab h 415 8th st s

In the 1935 state census of Precinct 7, Pinellas County, Florida: at 415 8th Street South, Jonas Bynum, 42, born in N.C., janitor, and wife Bessie, 38, born in N.C.

In the 1940 census of Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida: apartment house painter Jonas Bynum, 51, and wife Bessie, 47.

In the 1950 census of Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida: Mercy Hospital groundsman Jones Bynum, 62, and wife Bessie, 56.

Jonas Bynum died 5 March 1962. His daughter Bessie Mae Bynum Ford died 28 March 1989.

Tampa Bay Times, 30 March 1989.

Bessie Pittman Bynum died in July 1992.

Amos C. Coleman of Winter Garden, Florida.

Migrants streaming out of Wilson County headed in many directions. Amos Carroll Coleman headed south to Florida.

In the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: farm laborer Squier Coleman, 47, wife Nancy, 36, and children Gray, 18, Mary, 16, Afonzo, 9, Margret, 4, and Thomas, 2, plus Cassa Jordan, 70, Riley Jordan, 7, and Thomas Jordan, 25.

In the 1880 census of Taylors township, Wilson County: farmer Nancy Coleman, 45, widow, and children Margaret, 13, Thomas, 12, Amos, 10, Della, 9, Henry, 7, and Fannie, 5.

In the 1900 census of Midway precinct, Gadsden County, Florida: cooper Amos Coleman, 35, born in North Carolina; wife Fannie B., 29, born in Georgia; and children John H., 9, Annie M., 6, Dora B., 4, and Connie B., 2. All the children were born in Florida.

In the 1910 census of Winter Garden township, Orange County, Florida: Amos C. Coleman, 38, born in North Carolina, truck [farm] laborer.

Doll Baby Coleman died 9 October 1918 in Winter Garden, Orange County. Per her death certificate, he was born 27 February 1917 in Florida to Amos C. Coleman and Leila Smith, both of North Carolina.

In the 1920 census of Winter Garden township, Orange County, Florida: Amos C. Coleman, 46, farmer; wife Lela, 33; stepchildren Nancie L., 15, Lila, 12, Albert, 10, and Samuel, 9; and children Ina M., 6, Fannie, 5, and Idella, 11 months.

In the 1930 census of Winter Garden township, Orange County, Florida: in a home owned and valued at $500, Amos Coleman, 54, truck and orange farmer, and children Inamae, 17, Fannie, 16, Beatris, 9, and Arthur, 2.

In the 1935 state census of Florida: in Winter Garden, Amos C. Coleman, 61, laborer, and daughters Fannie, 21, and Beatrice, 14.

When Amos Carroll Coleman applied for Social Security in 1938, he gave his birthdate as 3 March 1874 and his parents as Squire Coleman and Nancy Roundfield.

In the 1940 census of Winter Garden township, Orange County, Florida: on the north side of Black Lake, Amos Coleman, 65, widower, dock construction laborer; daughters Fannie, 24, and Beatrice, 17; and grandsons Arthur, 9, and Amos Jr., 3.

Per the Florida Death Index, 1877-1998, Amos Coleman died in Orange County in 1945.

Rev. Edward C. Simms, Presiding Elder.

This brief bio of Rev. Edward C. Simms is found in a souvenir volume issued for an A.M.E. Zion General Conference. I do not have the access to the full volume, its title, or its date of publication.

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REV. EDWARD CUTHBERT SIMMS, P.E., Tampa, Fla.

Rev. Simms hails from Wilson, North Carolina, and of the year 1862; he graduated from the Wilson Academy in 1883; was converted there in 1875; joining the Farmer A.M.E. Zion Church at the same time. He became a preacher in 1896 at Norfolk, Va., and joined the Virginia Conference. Later on, he was ordained deacon at Hickory, N.C., in 1897, and ordained elder at Franklin, Va., in 1899.

His pastoral labors were exerted at Mosley Street A.M. E. Zion Church, Norfolk, Newport News, Va., and Mount Sinai Church, Tampa, Fla. He built the Centreville Chapel in Norfolk County, and Zion Chapel at Bear Quarter, Va. Rev Simms is a prominent member of the South Florida Conference, and a preacher who draws and holds an audience. As a pastor his success reaches the best average. This will be his first official appearance in the General Conference. He makes a highly acceptable administrator and his constituency love, honor and revere him. 

Biographical Souvenir Volume of General Conference A.M.E. Zion Church

Norfolk Virginian, 9 May 1897.

In its coverage on the Philadelphia Conference of the A.M.E. Zion Church, the 30 May 1908 edition of the Washington Bee noted that “Rev. E.C. Simms, a delegate from Florida, died suddenly from heart disease; a sum of one hundred dollars was raised by Conference for his funeral, and a Florida delegate was sent to accompany the remains home.”

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In the 1870 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Esther Simms, 45, and Ned Simms, 19, both farmworkers.

On 8 May 1879, Ned Simms, 25, married Nicy Best, 26, in Wilson. Benjamin S. Brunson performed the ceremony at the A.M.E. Zion Church in the presence of Hayes Best, Jas. Harriss, and S.A. Smith.

In the 1880 census of Wilson, Wilson County: school teacher Edward C. Simms, 33; wife Nicy, 26; and Edward, 7 months.

In the 1900 census of Norfolk, Virginia: at 62 Moseley, teacher Edward C. Simms, 44; wife Nicy, 43, nurse; and children Edward, 20, porter, Theodocia, 18, teacher, Sacona, 16, errand boy, Adonis, 14, Cicero, 12, Henny, 10, and Hattie, 6. All were born in North Carolina, except the youngest two, who were born in Virginia.

In the 1906 Tampa, Florida, city directory: Simms Edward C (m) pastor A M E Zion Church, h 952 Harrison 

In the 1908 Tampa, Florida, city directory: Simms Edward C Rev (m) pastor A M E Zion Church, h 952 Harrison

E.C. Simms died 14 May 1908 of diabetes at 313 North 38th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Per his death certificate, he was 55 years old and was born in Virginia to E.C. Simms of North Carolina and an unnamed mother born in Virginia. Informant was J.B. Harris [who apparently knew little about Simms.] He was buried in Norfolk, Virginia.

In the 1910 census of Tanner Creek, Norfolk County, Virginia: at 4 Byrd Street, widow Nicey Simms, 50, and children Adonis, 22, candy maker in factory, Henrietta, 18, and Hattie, 15.

Nicy Simms died 6 January 1922 in Norfolk, Virginia. Per her death certificate, she was 60 years old; was a widow; lived at 914 Dunbar; and was born in Wilson, N.C., to Daniel Bass [Best] and Jane [last name unknown]. Theadesia Simms of Norfolk was informant.

Adonis Simms died 9 July 1930 in Norfolk, Virginia. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1887 in North Carolina to Edward Simms; worked as a laborer; and was married to Vessie Simms.

The roots of Rev. W.O. Wells.

dr-w-o-wells-sr-passes

The Rev. Dr. Willie Oliver Wells Sr.–- pastor of Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, in Cocoa, Florida, for more than 50 years, well-known civil rights leader, and great servant of the Lord in church and civic affairs –- died on November 4, 2015. He was 84.

Rev. Wells was an inspiring leader who identified with the struggle for decency, justice and security for all people. The U.S. Army veteran served the church and his country with fearless courage and was a champion of all causes he believed to be right. His kind, friendly spirit will be missed, especially by those who worked closely with him.

Rev. Wells rendered faithful service and will long be remembered for his many contributions to the betterment of our community. Not the least of these is the part he played in the development of affordable housing for local residents, equal opportunity employment, and his leadership and courageous support of racial justice.

Rev. Wells was born on April 11, 1931, in Miami. He was the youngest of seven children born to Lillie and Rev. Oliver W. Wells Sr., pastor of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Fort Lauderdale.

He graduated from Dillard High School in 1949 and attended Bethune Cookman College on a football scholarship. During his sophomore year, his father passed, and he entered the U.S. Army. He attended leadership school in Virginia, and was stationed in Germany for two years. Afterwards, he attended Fisk University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Also, he attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, and graduated with a Bachelor of Theology degree in 1955.

In 1955, he married Annie Ruth Collins of Cocoa. The couple lived in Tennessee, and he was pastor of Westwood Baptist Church, Nashville, for two years.

In 1959, when there was a vacancy for a pastor at Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Rev. Wells was selected to fill that position. Then, the couple moved to Cocoa.

At that time, blacks were barred from public beaches, parks, restrooms and restaurants, in Brevard County and elsewhere. Rev. Wells worked to change the oppressive “Jim Crow” laws. During the early 1960’s, Rev. Wells was a Freedom Rider who led non-violent civil protests. He was an original member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference -–along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.–- and during his lifetime Rev. Wells spearheaded many projects to combat racism, poverty, drug abuse and crime. He was instrumental in bringing about desegregation in Brevard County, where he led anti-segregation campaigns and held various civic leadership positions.

He served as president of the Brevard County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, vice-president of the Florida branch of the NAACP, and chairman of the Redevelopment Commission of the City of Cocoa.

Rev. Wells established the Community Action Agency of Brevard, which provided low-income day care centers; Project Uplift, a fund for interest free loans to the church’s members; and in 1968, he constructed two low-rent apartment complexes, Shull Manor in Melbourne and Tropical Manor in Merritt Island. In 1978, Dr. Wells led Greater St. Paul Baptist Church in building a $1.2 million complex.

Dr. Annie Ruth Wells passed in 2008. Rev. Wells retired as pastor of Greater St. Paul Baptist Church in 2011. He leaves to mourn his passing his four children, Rev. Willie Oliver Wells Jr. (Jimmie Lee), Rev. Oliver W. Wells (Linda), and Annette O. Wells, all of Cocoa; and Dee Dee Wells (Michael) of Maryland; and 10 grandchildren.

——

Florida civil rights leader Rev. W.O. Wells had roots in Wilson County. His grandfather Burt Wells was born in Toisnot township circa 1872 to Alexander and Nancy Joyner Wells and migrated to south Georgia in the late 1800s. Burt Wells’ son Oliver W. Wells, born in 1895 in Willacoochee, Georgia, was Rev. W.O. Wells’ father.

On 28 May 1868, Ellick Wells, son of Kain and Milly Wells, married Nancy Joyner, daughter of Polly Joyner, at Harris Winstead’s in Wilson County.

On 19 December 1868, Isaac Wells, son of Cain and Milly Wells, married Clarky Farmer, daughter of Ben Dowley and Ellen Dowly, at C.C. Barnes’ in Wilson County.

In 1868, Cain Wells obtained a license to marry Sarah Braswell, daughter of Quincy Braswell. The license was not registered with the Wilson County clerk and, presumably, the couple never married.

Toney Wells, son of Cain and Milly Wells, married Laura Ethridge, daughter of Julia Ethridge, in Liberty township, Nash County, on 30 January 1869.

In the 1870 census of Upper Town Creek township, Edgecombe County: Ellick Wells, 26, Nancy, 18, Clara, 2, and Milly Batchelor, 70.

Nancy died in the early 1870s, and, on 3 August 1879, Alex Wells, 33, married Easter Parker, 22, in Wilson County.

In the 1880 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: farm laborer Al’x Wells, 35, wife Easter, 19, and children Delpha, 10, Birt, 8, and Arnold, 7.

Delphia Wells married William Drake on 1 July 1888 at A.F. Williams’ in Toisnot township.

In perhaps the early 1890s, Burt Wells and perhaps his father Alex moved from Wilson County to south Georgia. The 1900 census of Pearson township, Coffee County, Georgia, shows: Alexander Wells, 60, born in North Carolina, with his wife of seven years, Mary Ann, 40. Burt is not found in the 1900 census, but the World War I draft registrations of his oldest sons Willie, Oliver and Dewey show that they were born in Coffee (now Atkinson) County, Georgia.

In the 1910 census of Pearson township, Coffee County, Georgia: farmer Burt Wells, 45, wife Susie, 34, and children Sindy, 15, Elisah, 14, Willie, 12, Oliver, 11, Duey, 10, Oscar, 8, Delphy, 7, Squire, 6, Arnold, 4, Felton, 2, boarder Solomon Street, 21.

In the 1920 census of Pearson township, Atkinson County, Georgia: on Columbine Road, Burt Wells, 50, wife Lela, 30, and children Dewey, 22, Arnel, 13, Felton, 10, Osie, 3½, and Odom, 1 1/2.

In the 1930 census of Military District 1026, Atkinson County, Georgia: North Carolina-born Bert Wells, 60, wife Lelia, 37, and children Ocie, 13, Odom, 11.

Photograph credit to and obituary adapted from www.blackchristiannews.com.

 

 

Havana-bound.

Passport applications for only two Wilson County African-Americans have surfaced in Ancestry.com’s on-line database, U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925. One was Isaiah Prophet Thorne. The other — equally ecclesiastically named — was Evangelist James Freeman.

E.J. Freeman applied for a United States passport in September 1919, just a few days before his ship, the S.S. Mascotte, was to sail for Havana. He reported that he was born 10 June 1885 in Wilson, N.C, and that he lived in Pearson, Florida, and worked as a laborer.

USM1490_907-0150

Pearson was apparently “Pierson,” a tiny agricultural town in Volusia County about 20 miles inland from Daytona Beach. The men who swore to Freeman’s identity lived a ways north in Jacksonville and northwest in Lake City. That J.M. Rhodes had known Freeman for 15 years gives some idea of the length of time Freeman had been out of North Carolina.

USM1490_907-0151

Waiting in Key West, Freeman received his passport in time for departure to Cuba, but he did not stay long. On 14 December 1919, he appeared on the list of United States citizens sailing from Havana to Tampa aboard the S.S. Miami.

41260_322592-00433.jpg

The steamships Mascotte and Miami belonged to the Peninsular & Occidental S.S. Company, which plied the waters between Tampa, Kay West and Havana.

Palm Beach Post 4 16 1918

Palm Beach Post, 16 April 1918.

Just a year before his voyage abroad, Evangelist Freeman registered for the World War I draft. He was living at the time in Yelvington, a crossroads across the Saint Johns River from Palatka, Florida. He listed his employment as “minister of the Gospel,” but, according to the 1920 census, his employer Will Tilton was a potato farmer.

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