This week the City of Ocoee is marking the 100th anniversary of the 1920 election day massacre.
Descendants of the victims were among those who spoke at a symposium hosted by the city鈥檚 human relations diversity board Sunday.
The Orange County Regional History Center lists the Ocoee massacre as the largest incident of voting day violence in US history.
The violence began when a white mob lynched Julius 鈥楯uly鈥� Perry, a member of Ocoee鈥檚 African American community. They鈥檇 come looking for his friend who had been turned away from the polls after trying to vote.
Sha鈥檙on Cooley McWhite, a descendant of Perry, thanked the city for acknowledging what happened to her great uncle- and countless other members of the city鈥檚 black community who were murdered or driven from their homes. Estimates of the number of people killed in the massacre range from six to more than 30.
鈥淲e鈥檝e suffered in silence for a very long time. This has been a hurtful part of our past,鈥� said McWhite.
McWhite said it鈥檚 important for the community to come together and bring about change.
Commissioner Larry Brinson Sr. said the fact that he鈥檚 the city鈥檚 second elected African American commissioner shows Ocoeehasmade progress.
鈥淎nd yet even on this day, this very day we stand before you, which is election time, we are still engaged in discourse concerning the disenfranchisement of African American voters in America,鈥� said Brinson.
Commissioner George Oliver III, Ocoee鈥檚 first African American City Commissioner, said he believes the tough conversations about the massacre will help the city come together.
Ocoee City Commissioner George Oliver III. Photo: Ocoee TV
Oliver said he was disappointed a booklet produced for the week鈥檚 events didn鈥檛 do more to highlight Ocoee鈥檚 progress towards a more diverse and inclusive city.
鈥淲e have so many reasons to celebrate. Unfortunately you cannot read about those things in this booklet which only presents a very narrow view of how we are moving forward. I would like that view to be expanded even more.鈥�
Mayor Rusty Johnson said he鈥檒l work as hard as he can in the last two and a half years of his term to make things right.
鈥淚f we didn鈥檛 say it the right way in the book, I apologize. You know, everybody鈥檚 not perfect. But we meant it from the heart, what we did say and what we鈥檙e trying to do.鈥�
The city , culminating in the unveiling of an historic marker on Sunday.
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