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Florida's Columbia County NAACP President Examines Civil Rights Progress Since 1963

As Wednesday marked the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington in 1963, people across the country reflected on the changes that have already been made and the goals yet to be reached.

Columbia County NAACP President Deborah White has been a champion for civil rights and has seen the power of desegregation over time. White said diversity in the county's schools is evolving as is the community.

"The fact that our middle schools and high schools represent the diversity within the Columbia County," she said, "it shows that the community is evolving, and the diversity and the ethnicity is evolving."

Today, only one school in the district has a predominantly minority population while other schools reflect the progress taking place in Columbia County, White said.

She attributed the trend to the establishment of a community college as well as warehouses for Target and Georgia-Pacific. She said these additions brought in different cultures, promoting equality and the mixing of communities. She has seen these changes in her 11 years living in the area and continues to watch with pride as it grows.

"Change comes when all of us, with all of our diversities are able to sit to a table and discuss the problems that all Americans face and come up with a strategic plan that addresses all of our needs," she said.

Katie is a reporter who can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.
Virginia is a reporter for WUFT News who may be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org