Julius “July” Perry knew that there was an immense threat waiting at his doorstep, but he was willing to protect the people of his community at all costs. He was a protector.
Perry protected the Black community of Ocoee, Florida, by helping them get access to equal pay in labor by ensuring that no white employer could hire a local Black person unless they negotiated with him first. The result was an economically thriving community. But his work didn’t end there.
The “godfather” of the Ocoee offered his home as shelter, and after one member in his community, Mose Norman, fled to Perry’s home for protection from raced-based violence, he knew what he had to do.
Perry told his family and Norman to flee his home while he stayed behind and fought against the terrorists who came to attack Norman. Perry lost his life, but his legacy of being a protector for Black people in Ocoee lives on.
Perry’s sacrifice to protect our community was huge, but small actions from us each day benefit our community, too. What action can you take to make life better for our people in your local community?