Every February, the U.S. recognizes the valuable contributions of African-Americans to our melting pot society with Black History Month. This year, Labor Solutions would like to focus on some of the notable figures from Polk County who have made their mark on Central Florida over the years.

Black History is American History
It’s impossible to truly encapsulate the scope of the impact that Black Americans have had on the development of Central Florida in one blog post, so we’ve chosen just a few to highlight.

  • Prince Johnson. If we look back in the annals of history to the founding of the county seat, Bartow, we find the signature of Prince Johnson. Johnson was enslaved in Florida until gaining freedom after the Civil War ended. He worked with cattle baron Jacob Summerlin, eventually acquiring land of his own. This qualified Johnson to participate in creating the charter to make Bartow (originally called Fort Blount) a city.
  • Andy Moore. Another former slave who participated in the vote to incorporate Bartow was Andy Moore. He and his wife, Tamer Reed, were the first African-Americans to own land in Polk County. 
  • Dan Laramore. What would Florida be without citrus? The real question is, what would Florida citrus be without Dan Laramore? Laramore was of African American and Seminole Indian descent, and was hired by Dr. Frederick William Inman in 1883 as the pioneering lead horticulturist for Inman’s new citrus growing, packing, shipping, and marketing cooperative – the Florence Villa Citrus Growers Association. Laramore’s son was the first African American born in Florence Villa.
  • Althea Margaret Daily Mills. Another local icon from Florence Villa, Mills was instrumental in forcing the Polk County School Board to desegregate area schools in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education. She also had a hand in desegregating the United States Post Office in Winter Haven – she was the first Black resident to become a career postal worker in Winter Haven, eventually becoming manager.

Just to Name a Few…
There are so many local heroes who have helped to create the Polk County we know and love today. Join Labor Solutions in paying homage to a few of them during Black History Month by sharing this blog with your friends!