On April 27, 2023, members of the St. Pete community gathered at the Center for Health Equity for a historic and reflective discussion with Courageous 12 member Leon Jackson.
With over 220 attendees, Courageous 12: A Legacy of Equity, was an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of these Black officers and address how racial equity in policing has progressed over the last 30 years. Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg Board of Trustees member, Reverend Kenneth Irby, facilitated the discussion. He also solicited questions from the community members in attendance. The event also included St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway, and former St. Petersburg Police Chief Goliath Davis.
In the 1960s, the St. Petersburg Police Department mirrored the segregation of the city; Black officers had no authority to arrest white citizens or patrol white areas of the city. On May 11, 1965, after appealing to the chief of the St. Petersburg Police Department on multiple occasions, 12 of the city’s 15 black police officers filed a discrimination lawsuit to gain the full rights and authority of their white counterparts. They chose to move forward with the decision, even though they knew it could cost them their livelihoods.
Following the panel discussion, Mayor Ken Welch read a proclamation from the City of St. Petersburg acknowledging the significance of the actions of the twelve officers and designating April 27th as Courageous 12 Day. Family members of the Courageous 12 police officers were in attendance and the program concluded with each officer being recognized.
“It was not an easy choice, but we 12 Black police officers were standing up for what we believed in. We weren’t against anyone personally, we were standing up and challenging racism. There is no doubt our actions as the Courageous 12 helped Black officers reach many goals that were once considered unattainable.”
Leon Jackson, one of the Courageous 12