John Rivers

John Rivers is the former president of the NAACP’s Sarasota Branch. He moved to Sarasota from Mobile, Alabama in 1951 in search of work to support his family. Instead, Mr. Rivers found himself in the midst of a struggle for racial equality. In the 1950s and 1960s, Sarasota was plagued with segregation, including the segregation of local beaches. Mr. Rivers took on the challenge of the fight for integration, and became a leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Sarasota. Mr. Rivers acted as a leading force in ensuring that anyone, regardless of race, could enjoy the beauty of Sarasota’s beaches.

Student Interviewer: Kortney Lapeyrolerie

Kortney Lapeyrolerie is a student at New College of Florida. She is currently a third year, and is studying anthropology. Kortney strongly believes that there are meanings in spoken words that could never be conveyed in written words alone. She thinks that this project is proof of that fact. Kortney will continue carrying out oral history projects in the future.

Interview Transcripts