In the ankle deep water of St. Augustine Beach, activists (right) face off with segregationists on June 25 1964.

Civil Rights Movement

A period of upheaval.

Civil Rights Movement

Short Description In 1963 and 1964, St. Augustine became a theater of national attention, with protests, confrontations, and hate crimes against Black citizens being common. The climate in St. Augustine was so "hot" that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference staged protests here during those years, with activists from near and far rising to join them. Despite the darkness of hate, brave activists banded together to advocate for African American civil rights.

According to Florida Atlantic University, Florida enacted 19 segregation laws between the years of 1865 and 1967. Florida was also known for enforcing especially har...