NAACP FSC HISTORY
Honoring black soldiers
Black soldiers have defended this nation since its earliest battles, often fighting for freedoms they themselves were denied. From the Revolutionary War to today, their service has shaped American democracy, expanded civil rights, and pushed this country closer to its highest ideals. This Memorial Day, we honor those who never returned home—those whose courage, sacrifice, and unwavering belief in freedom helped build the very nation that once refused to see their full humanity.
Their legacy begins with the First Rhode Island Regiment, one of the earliest integrated units in American history, where free and enslaved Black men fought for independence. It continues through the United States Colored Troops, who made up nearly 10% of the Union Army during the Civil War and helped turn the tide toward emancipation. It lives in the bravery of the Buffalo Soldiers, the valor of the Harlem Hellfighters in World War I, the excellence of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, and the countless Black service members who continued to serve even when the nation did not serve them equally.
Their sacrifice is not only military—it is moral.
They fought for a country that too often refused to fight for them.
They carried the weight of democracy on their backs long before they could fully participate in it.
And still, they stood. They served. They gave all.
This Memorial Day, the NAACP Florida State Conference stands in deep gratitude for every fallen Black soldier whose courage helped carve a path toward justice. Their names may not all be written in textbooks, but their impact is written into the fabric of American freedom.
Donald Hart Sr.,
President of the NAACP
Florida State Conference,
Donald’s journey with the NAACP began as a youth member at the Indian River County Branch, under the inspiring leadership of his father, Victor Hart Sr., who served as branch president for an incredible 45 years and as an area director for the FSC for over 40 years.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Donald stepped up as co-area director for the FSC when his father fell ill. Over the past two decades, he has taken on numerous leadership roles, including being elected as the 5th Vice President, 3rd Vice President, and 2nd Vice President of the organization. Donald Hart Sr.’s unwavering commitment to civil rights and his leadership within the NAACP is a testament to his dedication to justice and equality.
Dr. Adora Obi Nweze, FSC Immediate Past President and NAACP National Board of Directors
The former Johnnie Raye McMillian, received her Bachelor’s Degree from Fayetteville University and a Masters of Education Degree from the University of Miami. After that she was certified by the State of Florida in areas of: Elementary Education, Educational Leadership, Guidance and Counseling, Social Studies, Mental Retardation, and Specific Learning Disabilities. She retired from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools after a 39 year successful career that took her from the classroom to an Educational/Placement Specialist, ESE; Interim ESE Director, Region IV; Interim Principal, Westview Elementary and Summer Principal, Floral Heights Elementary School. She also served as an Adjunct Professor at Miami-Dade College, Florida Memorial and Nova University. At the Miami Dade County Public School District level, she served as Director, Title I Program and District Director, Alternative Education Programs, where she was directly responsible for Juvenile Justice and Teen Parent Programs. She is the proud mother of three adult children, Ronald, Norman, II and Treska; and the loving grandmother of Amber, Chalice, Khari and Destinee.
Adora Obi Nweze is a devoted member of New Harvest Missionary Baptist Church, Miami, FL; member of Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; and serves as the Associate Matron, Angels of Adora Chapter #99, Order of Eastern Star, PHA. Her NAACP affiliation includes being a Diamond Life member of the NAACP; President of the Florida State Conference NAACP, member of the NAACP National Board of Directors; member, NAACP Special Contribution Fund/Board of Trustees. She serves on the following National Board Committees: Chair, ACT-SO Committee; Chair, NAACP Education Committee; member, NAACP Advocacy and Policy; member, NAACP Memberships and Units; member, NAACP Convention Planning; member, NAACP Membership sub-committee; member, Environmental Justice/Climate Control Subcommittee; and member, Gulf Oil Taskforce.
She was appointed in 2010 as a member, National Advisory Council (NAC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and as Chair, Affirmative Action Committee FL Democratic Party. Previously held positions include: Appointed by former Governor Charlie Crist as Special Advisor for Minority Affairs; member, Search Committee for NAACP President/CEO 2007/2008; member, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Advisory Committee which developed a Post Katrina Report. Adora, has served as Chair of the National 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board and was the President for the Miami-Dade Branch (11 years) and the Opa-Locka Branch (2 years); member, Federal Communications Commission, Special Committee on Post Katrina; Coordinator, Disaster Relief and Region V, Coordinator Women In NAACP (WIN) Committee. She spearheaded lawsuits that were filed by the Florida State Conference to include: the One Florida Initiative, the Voting Irregularities of 2000 and Voter Disenfranchisement, the Department of Corrections, School Vouchers, Felony Disenfranchisement, and Affirmative Action. Recently, she has been an out spoken advocate in seeking Justice for the murder of Martin Lee Anderson. Because of her strong belief in community, she has been successful in building NAACP partnerships with the Florida Departments of Education, Health, Corrections, Juvenile Justice, the Florida Bureau of Elderly Affairs, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
She has implemented strategies and activities with the Department of Health/HIV/AIDS Division to bring about an awareness of the impact that HIV/AIDS has on the Black and Minority Communities throughout the State of Florida.
Adora has been on the forefront for many initiatives to include but not limited to: Successful fundraising efforts at the local, state, region and national levels; organized successful NAACP memberships Drives yielding hundreds of new regular and Life Members; Daisy Bates Education Summit; ACTSO Competitions; Criminal/Juvenile Justice, Religious Affairs, Health, Education, Environmental Justice, Legal Redress, Telecommunications, Economic Development, Veteran Affairs Activities. Adora is also an advocate for youth and increasing young adult participation in the NAACP. She has organized meetings that have resulted in increasing young adult participation with Branch, Youth Council and College Chapters throughout and raised financial support for youth involvement to attend State Conferences, Regional and National Conventions. Also, she organized a State Young Adult Committee.
Adora’s community service is legendary. She is a much sought after speaker for workshops and conferences at the local, state, and national levels. In addition, she continues to be an inspiration and role model for those aspiring to be community leaders in the future. She is known as a challenger, motivator and orator, through her demonstration as President of the Florida State Conference NAACP. President Nweze believes that we must proactively seek to eradicate voter apathy in our communities through the dutiful and diligent dissemination of information affecting every aspect of our community. Education, Healthcare, Unemployment, Criminal and Juvenile Justice, as well as Housing are a few of the issues negatively impacting our communities daily that are addressed under her leadership.
The awards and recognitions from the local community as well as from the NAACP have been numerous. Listed below are a few of the recognitions:
– Kelly M. Alexander Sr. State Conference President’s Award
– Dr. Benjamin Lawson Hooks, Keeper of the Flame Award
– Civil Rights Award, Florida Conference on Civil Rights
– Rutledge H. Pearson Leadership Award, Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches
– Adora Obi Nweze, Intergenerational Award, Youth and College Division, Florida State Conference
Presidents Award, Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches
– Ida B. Wells Risk Taker Award, National Alliance of Black School Educators Sojourner Truth Award, Miami Chapter, National Association of Negro
– Business and Professional Women
– W.E.B. Dubois International Award, NAACP Regional Conference
– Medgar Wiley Evers Award, Region V NAACP
– Adams/Powell Civil Rights Award, Miami-Dade Branch NAACP
Pioneer Award, Florida Democratic Black Caucas
– Humanitarian Award, Top Ladies of Distinction
– WMBM AM 1490 Community Service Award (Award is now named the Adora Obi Nweze Award for Community Service)
Florida Education Association (FEA) President’s Award
– Education Award, Imperial Court Daughters of Isis
– Outstanding Community Service, Gamma Zeta Omega Wish Foundation
– University of Miami/Minority Organ Tissue and Transplantation (MOTTEP) Outstanding Leadership Award
– March on Tallahassee/Coalition of Conscience, Leadership Award
Leon W. Russell
Chair, NAACP National Board of Directors
Leon W. Russell has dedicated his life to fighting for human rights and has served on the National Board of Directors since 1990 in various roles, including Assistant Secretary, Chair of the Convention Planning Committee, and Vice Chair. His peers recognized his decades of work and leadership when they elected him as chair in 2017.
Before joining the board, Russell served as president of the NAACP Florida State Conference of Branches for 4 years after serving for 15 years as the first vice president.
After 35 years of public service as the Director of the Office of Human Rights for Pinellas County in Clearwater, Florida, Russell retired in 2012. During his time as a civil servant he was responsible for implementing the county’s affirmative action and human rights ordinances. These ordinances continue to ensure a racially and sexually diverse workforce and support the implementation of the county’s equal employment opportunity programs.
From 2007 to 2011, Russell served as President of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA). The IAOHRA membership consists of statutory human and civil rights agencies throughout the United States and Canada and other nations. These agencies enforce state and local civil rights laws and are actively engaged in reducing and resolving intergroup tension and promoting intergroup relations.
As part of his lifelong work and leadership, Russell has served as a member of several organizations including the International City Management Association and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. He served as a board member of the Pinellas Opportunity Council, president and board member of the National Association of Human Rights Workers, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Campaign of Florida.
As the Chairman of Floridians Representing Equity and Equality (FREE), a statewide coalition, Russel worked to oppose the Florida Civil Rights Initiative, an anti-affirmative action proposal. Ultimately, the initiative failed to get on the Florida ballot for voter consideration, because of the strong legal challenge spearheaded by FREE.
Russell has received numerous civic awards and citations for his work ensuring equality and equity across the U.S.
Charles W. Cherry,
NAACP Florida State President
(1974 to 1984)
Charles W. Cherry served as the NAACP Florida State President for 10 years, from 1974 to 1984. Before that, he was the president of the Daytona branch from the early 1960s to the early 1970s.
Charles W. Cherry, Sr.’s life was multi-faceted. The centerpiece: a determination to see equal rights for all people, particularly in Daytona Beach and the state of Florida.
A decorated Korean Conflict veteran, he served as a Bethune-Cookman College educator and its business manager, a REALTOR®, a newspaper and radio station owner, and four full terms as a Daytona Beach city commissioner. As one of the state’s few African-American bail bondsman, he worked to get civil rights protestors – including fellow Morehouse College graduate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – released from Florida jails in the 1960s. Amid all these endeavors, he also served several terms as president of the Volusia County-Daytona Beach Branch of the NAACP, as president of the Florida State Conference of NAACP Branches, and as a member of the National Board of the NAACP.
Cherry, Sr. began his newspaper career when he launched Daytona Beach’s Westside Rapper in 1969 “to have our own Black voice.” The Daytona Times succeeded the Westside Rapper in 1978. In 1989, Cherry, Sr. went on to establish the Florida Courier to reach Florida’s Treasure Coast. That same year, the Cherry family purchased WPUL-AM 1590, a Daytona Beach-area radio station.
In 2001, the Cherry family’s media business expanded to become Tama Broadcasting, Inc., then Florida’s largest privately-owned African-American media group, which owned or operated 11 radio stations across three states.
Cherry, Sr. died in 2004. In 2006, the family, led by Julia T. Cherry, his wife of 52 years, relaunched the Florida Courier as a statewide newspaper (audited circulation: 90,000 weekly). It now serves Miami-Dade, Broward, St. Lucie, Orange, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Duval counties.
Both the Florida Courier and the Daytona Times stay true to the Black Press’s tradition of “pleading our own cause.” Both continue the legacy of Charles W. Cherry, Sr.