Ord G-237(08-56) E~!:i~(tEi.::'C-? O'i~DZi.UA',!CE ;;:0. 23?.
Al! E.I?~CE~,!CY 0RD!'AANCE OF Ti~' CI~Z 0F D~L~:iAY BEACH,
FLORIDA~ E~R~zo~C SAID CI~'S POLICE POh~R ~0
P'P.)~'i!T RIOTS tTI~H~i~ SAID CI~; FO~IBIDD~C Th~ CARRYIItC
AUTHORIZIHC TH% SEARCHI~fG OF ALL Zt~DIV~UALS AI,~ ~HiC~S
%; Ti~ PUBLIC PLACES OF SAID CI~ FOR DANGEROUS
AUTHORIZI?,]'G T~ CO.~!FISCATZ0lf Ti~REOF AND PRESCRIBING
~':~'TERb~REi~CE ~'~ITH A!'~ POLICE O~ZCER
'?rr'"':~;"'"~ a ~reat amount of tension exists in the City of Delray
B~cn, Florida, over the use of the .~unicipal Beach and ~un~cipal
?~}1~ the City Co:~l~ission has been informed that an unusually
laF~e number of residents of this City and nearby a~eas have recently
purchased lar2e quantities of ~uns and ai~nunition, and
~i~:.~, persistent r~o~s have come to the attention of the City
Cot~ission that trouble will soon break out on the l?unicipa~ Beach
~hich may lead to injury and death to the residents of this City, and
-z~pv~,n an emerr:ency exists in the City of Delray Beach, _ ,
........... -.~, ~ ~lorida
due to the fact that no ordinance exists authorizing the stopping
of all persons and vehicles within the City of De!ray Beach; the
searching of same for the purpose of locating concealed weapons and
the confiscation of such weaoons, and the Oity Comm~ission deems it
necessary for the i~aediate preservation of public peace, property,
health, morals and safety, that this ordinance be oassed as an
emeri]ency ordinance, and
'~'?r?~'°., ~.~.a..~,.~, Lhe ~.o5~eo of Florida has heretofore .granted ~nto the
City of Del~ay Beach, Florida, 'police ~owers, which ~rant appears in
the [unicima].. Charter at ~
oectton 7 (15), and
.~?~:~,~S, the ot,~,te of Florida has the powem and authority to
de!e.2ate such police powers to its municipalities by reason of the
Constitution of the Gtate of Florida and the Constitut%on of the
Uni'~;ed States of 7hmerica, in order to prevent strife and riots and to
promote and preserve the health, safety and f~eneral welfare of all of the
Citizens of Delray Beach, Florida,
NO~~ ,,,T TtE.~ORE~~' n~ ~ " BY ViRTLrE OF %lie POLICE POWER G~%~T~D TO SA~
~_~BY ORDAINED BY ~ CITY
U~'~.:~!ooiO~,~ T~ CITY OF DELi'h~Y BEACH, FLOR~2, ~ FOLLOWS:
Section 1.
That no person other than a duly %ualified officer of the law shall,
on the streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks~ beaches or other public places
within the City of Delray Beach, Florida, during the interim of this
emergency, carry either on his person or in any vehicle any dangerous
We ~po~ ~
Section 2.
The Chief of Police and the police officers of the City of Delray
Beach, Florida, are hereby authorized to search any and all persons and
vehicles who are upon the public places of the City of Delray Beach,
Florida, as above set forth, and to confiscate and take from Zhem such
dangerous weapons as may be found thereon or therein.
Section 3 ·
For the purpose of enforcing this ordinance, the Chief of Police
and the oolice oui~cers of the City of Delray Beach, Florida, are
authorized to set up such road blocks as may be necessary in the opinion
of the Chief of Police of this City for enforcing this ordinance.
Section ~.
The emergency as herein defined shall be deemed to exist until
this ordinance is repealed by the 0ity Co~aission of the City of Delray
Bea~, Florida.
Section 5.
~ny person who shall violate this ordinance, upon confiscation thereof,
shall be fined not more than ~. 509.00 or imprisoned in the City Jail
or at hard labor upon the streets or other public works of the City not
exceeding 60 days, or both such fine and impriso~aent.
Section 6.
This is an emergency ordinance and shall become effective ii',m~ediately
unon its passage.
rz~oo...~ ADOP~D in Special Session on this the day of ~ay,
by petit~ the above nnmieipalit_y th~u~ its elected offieialz and agents ~.~eging
oertaAn emiseive abu~ea whieh will heee~ be set fc~h and for their pru~e
~eot~y sutudt,
C~ of Deln~ Beaeh, Flarida, ~eeiding within the eca~M~ate 1Amit~ of said CAt~.
2, That it fo~.~ow~ fX~ea the fm~go~ tha~ the petitione~ and all othea~
ila~l~ satiated are entitled to f~ee aad ua~eetrieted use of all p~blie faeilAtiee.
3, That the City of Delra~ 9eaeh, Fire-ida c~ns and ~ aa improved
within the ~te liuito of the City of Delray Beaeh, Florida, the sam haviu~ been
set aside fo~ public use.
~e That the petiticner~ ~ and othe~ oiuilar~ situated ~ole~y because of
the~ ~ and anee, rtr~ have boen deaied the use of said beach and othe~ public faclli-
%is~ get apa~ f~ lmblio ~M~atien~ that the City of Delra~ Beaeh has not permitted
5e Petitioners ~espeeti~lly u~ge that this action os the pe~t of the City of
Delm~ ~ deprives tha~ aad othore alaila~V situated of the Equal Protection
Law~ M ~aw~ateed by the Ceastitution of the ~mited States and the Cmstitution
the State of Florida°
~EFORE, petitioners 8ulndt this plea in bona fides ~ that they be
fl~ilrtod tmod~te and ~Post~leted use of the beach oenod and maintained by the Ci~
Petitione~ Fur~hor r~am~ a dtspooitive answer to this plea within & pe~Aod
Res~ sullnitted,
Dated at Delray Beach, Flea-ida this 25th day of Jaet~x~, AoDo l~S.
The above is a trus and ooxTeet ~ of the original petition filed by one l~aneiseo
A. R~f~,quos, 703 ~ison Street, ~am~a, Florida, with the City Camiosion during
~eg~la~ aogsion held on ~'~ 2~th, 195~, at the City
IN THE UNDITED STATES DIST~{ICT COURT FOR T}~ SOUTHE~ DISTt~ICT OF FLORIDA
OZIE YOUNGBLOOD, GFORGE S. McKAY,
LEE MONROF~, L%.L. YODT;GBLOOD, LF2!.OY
BAINE, ELMORF WATKINS, W.M.HERDWICK,
CLINTON F~N AND JOSY.~H BALDWIN, Civil Action
Plaintiffs 6091 M Civil
VSe
W. J. SNOW, AS Mayor of the City of
Delrsy Beach, Florida~ a municipal cornoration,
organized and existing under the laws of the
State of Florida~ CATNrRINE STRONG, FT~ORY
BA~HOW, W.C. ALLYN A~ GLEN~ SUNDRY, as City
Commissioners of the City of Delray Beach, Fla.
Defendants,
COMPLAINT
1. (a) The Jurisdicition of this Court is invoked under Title 28, Untied
States Code, Section 1331, this being an action which arises under the
Consitituion of the Undited tares and the Fourtheenth Amendment of said
Constitituiion and Title 8, United Stated Code, Section 41 and Z3 wherein
the matter in controversey exceeds, e~clusive of in erest and costs, the sum
of three thousand dollar~ (~3OOO.00).
(b) The Jurisdiction of this Court is also invoked under Title 28,
United States Code, Section 1343, this being an action authorized under law
to be brought to redress the deprivation under color of law, statute,
regulation, custom and usage of a state of rights, privileges and immunities
sacured by the Constitution and the laws of the United States providing for
the equal rights of citizens of the United States and of all persons within
the Jurisdiction of the United States~ viz., Title 8, United States Code,
Section 41 and 43.
2. Plaintiffs further show that this is a proceeding a declaratory Judge-
ment and injunction under Title 28~ United States Code, Section 2201 and
Section 2202, and Rule 57~ Rules of Civil Procedure for the District Courts
of the United States for the purpose of determining a question in actual
controversy between parties, to wi%!
(a) The question, whether or not the policy, cue%em and
~ractice of defendants in denying, on account of color and race, to plaintiffs
and other ~egro citizens similarly situated, rights and privileges of attend-
ing and making use of the municipal beach and bathing facilities situated
within the corporate limits of the City of Delr~y Be~ch, Florida and owned
and operated by the City of Delray Beach, Florida in its corporate capaciSy
and which is ~ade avei!able by said municipality for the use, comfort,
convenience, enjoyment and pleasure of citizens and residents of ~aid City,
said beach and bathing facilities offered to and constv, ntly used by ~hite
persons is in violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
3. Ail parties to this action are residents and citizens and
domiciled in the City of Delray Be~ch, the State of Florida and the United
States of America.
4. The olei~tiffs, Ozie Youngblood, Ceorge S. ~.~cKay, Lee ~onroe, ~.
L. ¥oungblood, Leroy Baine, Elmore Watkins, W.M. Hardwicke, Clinton Freeman
and .~oseph Baldwin are residents of the City of Delray Beach, Florida and
the United Ststes of ~.merica. They are over the age of twenty-one (21) and
are taxpayers of the City of Delray B~ach, Florida and citizens of The State
of Florida and the United States of America. Ail of the plaintiffs are
classified as Negroids under the laws of the State of Florida.
DELRAY BEACH CIVIC LEA~JE
May 26, 1956
TO: The Delray Beach Ci%y Commission
We submi% es an alternative proposal, which we feel would
be ~ccep%able %o the Negro citizens, %he following:
1o Will accep% beach if located between %he limi%s
City of Delray ~sch and ~ce ~a%on. ~ of 500 feet.
2~ If ~he city is unable %o ~rchase ~ach site i~edia~e~
ly, ~hs~ ~hey lease land and make same available for use un~il
purchase can ~ negotiated.
~ ~e i~ediate const~ction of the swiping pool a~
~he place desi~na~edo
4. We s~rongly urge ~ha~ i~edia~e action ~ ~aken
~llav ~ension and unres~ ~ha~ now exists among ho~h groups in
our co~uni~y ~
5. We wsn~ i~ mede known ~ha% i~ is no~ our desire
swim wi~h ~he whi~es as reflected in certain expressed opinions,
r~her we wan~ a ~ach wi~h suitable faei!ities within the limits
described a~ve~
6~ I~ is no~ our desire ~o jeopardize ~he economy of
Ci~w of Delrey ~ach ~ we strongly feel ~ha~ we should
given ~be righ% ~o swim within %he limits descried a~ve.
7o We l~men~ ve~ much tha~ you, ~he Ci%y, found it neces-
sary ~o pass Emergen~ Ordinance No. ~, however we wish
assure ~he Co~ission ~ha% we have ~a~n every s%ep ~o preserve
~ace and barony ~hrough ~he following channels:
Churches
Schools
~siness Es~ablis~en~s
All p~lic gatherings
~espec~fully yours ~
George $. ~,~cKay
Wm. Hardwick
O. Fo Youngblood
Lo L° Youngblood
Lens B~nne r
J. Ac ~ldwin, Jro
PRESS I~ELEAS ~.
June 27, 1956
The proposals prinked by Miami Heraldon June 27 regarding
promises made by ~,~ayor Yargates, Wo J. Snow and Emory Barrow
to Negro Civic League and submitted by Coach Gather, Negro,
of Florida A & M, representing himself as a personal repre-
sentative of Governor Collins, was found unacceptable in
its entirety. The Negro Civic League replied the next day
with the alternate proposal which follows:
DELRAY BFULCH C IVI C L~LG~IE
We submit as &u alternate, ye ~reposal, which we feel would be accent-
able te ~e Negro citizens, the
!. Will accept beach if iecateA between ~he limits ef the City ef
Delray E~ach and ~ca Rat~. ~ ef 500 feet~
If ~e tit2 i~ ,~abi, te purchase beach site i~elately~ ~a~
they lease lamd and ~ke ease available fer use ~tii purpose
c~ be nege~lated~
~e i~dia~e const~c~ion ~f ~ ewim~r~.ng peel a~ ~he ~lace
des~ate~.
4. ~e atrer~ly urge that i~ediate action be taken te ~lay tenalea
~d ~st ~at now exists ~o~ beth groups in
5. We w~t it ~e ~o~ ~chat It le not o~ desire
~i~e as reflec~ in certai~ e~.~ressed epi~ems, ra~er
~t a beach wi~ euitabie facilities within the l~ts ~escri~
6, it i~ not ~ d~ire te Jee~,ardize the ecenemy ~f ~ City ef
~lray ~ach but we atro~iy feel ~hat we sh.~ be glum
~i~ht te a~m wi~in ~e l~ts 4escribe4 abewe~
~ ~ l~t very ~eh ~at yom, the City, fo~ it
~sa ~enoy ~inanoe ~e. ~ h~ver we ~ ~e aaa~ ~e
O~i~al~ that we have t~en every step to preserve peace
h~ny t~,~$ the fellow~ ch~ela:
C~ ch · $
B~ools
~stne~s BL~ tabl is~ment~
Ail ~bllc ga~heri~s
DELRAY BEACH CIVIC LgAGUE
Set forth below our objections to the use of the 100 foot strip ef
beach property, purchased by the City of Delray Beach in Ocean Ridge,
as a. bathing beach:
1. Citizens of Ocean Ridge resent establishment of a Negro
beach thereat to the extent that they threaten the safety
of any Negro using it.
2. Police protection, offered by the City of Delr&y Beach, is
inadequate in that it would necessitate around the clock
patrol of the beach area, and would be illegal in that it
is outside the city li..~uits ef Delray Beach.
3. The 100 foot strip of beach allotted for approximately
4000 Negroes is wholly inadequate.
4. Entrance to the beach area must be effected through two
townships, both of which are against our using it aa a
bathing beach.
5. Repeated attempts to use this beach have resulted in fear
for our safety thereby causing tension, fl-ustration and
unhappine s s.
Our reply to the above follows, and Coach Gather of Florida
A & I4 wi%h Professor Parks, History Teacher of Fla. A & ~,
flatly refused to accept this for the Delray Beach Negro
Civic League.
We are !~ recc'[bt o~' y~m.rs of ~,{ay 26, i~56, wherein some of
your group submitted as a~ ai~erna~,iv~ pro',~osa! to the praser~t
i~iter-raclal conflict, that t. he ~ie~?oes of o~ir co~=:iu~ity should be
provided with the fol'
1. Will accept beach .if lock, ted Oetwaen the limits of the City
of Delray Beach a~;d Boca [~;,ton. ~imm~ oY ~.00 feet.
2. Ii' the city is unable t~ purchase Oeach si~,,e !zm~edfl~ rely, that
they lease Land and ;~a~:e s~,ne :~va[iable For u~:e u:~til_ ~urchase
can be negotiated.
3. The ism~edtate construction of t~e ~;wi,~,.l~l~,; icc! at t~e place
designated.
We atro~l~iy ur~.;e that iz~r~ediat..~ ~cti. on be ta?en :,o
~enslon and u~rest t~mt ~ow exlst~; amo~;~ both ~rouba ~;
5. '~fe wa!it [t ~de kno~ that It is not o~ir desire to swim
the whites as reflected i:~ cart, ale expressed opinions, rather
we want a beach witi~ suitable '.'acidities wlt:~in the limits
described above..
6. It is not our desire to Jeopardize the economy of the City of
Delray Beach but ~'e ~trongly fee'[ t~mt we sr.o~lc oe give~: the
right to sw~ within the limits de~crlbed above.
7. We l~ent very much zhat you, the ~ found it necessary to
pass ~rge:~cy Ordinance No. 2~,6, however we wish to assure the
Co~:lssion t~mt we have taken every step to preserve peace and
harsmny throa~h the following channels:
Churches
Schools
Business Esteblis~ents
All publlc ~atherings
Be advised that we appreciate you~ ?eelin~'~s as ex~reased
the co.unique and our sympathies are for tlc establishment oF a be~ch
located between t~e limits of the City of Delray .Beach, Florida,
and the City of ~ca Raton, Florida, with a minlm~l footage of ~00 feet.
~{owever, the acquisition of such property Oy the City' of Delray Beach
for this p~pose offers two problem. The first and more important
of such proble~ are financial.
The ~ity of De!ray Beaoh, at the present time, is not in such
financial coati!rich that such a purchase would be ~ss!ble o~$ of
funds on ~nd or antlcl[mted in th~ aear future. Further, we are
advised by o~r m~uiel~l financial adviser~ Saat we are uaable
float additional bonded indebtedness ~aleable on the ~nd
to affo~ us wtta ~h~ neoes~ary f~ds for ~he ~e~e of muen
~condly, the present City Co~lasion of ~he City of Delray
~ach, Florida, feelm ~ It le unwi~ to ~ho~r the mole reeponslbili~
oF She p~ham~ of 500 fee~ of ~p~ed ~aeh pro~r~y since the
only ~roved beach tract ~$ting She m~eifiemtlons ll~s ~thln
the oer~te limits of other ~,uniei~lit[em ~d o~tslde the corporate
limits 9f the City of ~lray ~ach, Florida, It would appear f~m
much a ~~me t~t the City of ~l~y B~aoh ~s ~lll~ for
that ~ mo$~ to ~se the co~lioa$ione an~ ~m~elatlon of property
v'alues uoon outsiae co~unfzies and peoples. Therefore, we feel
that the ~'
~ounty ando"rate should better be the medi,~ thro~?~
~hich such ~oh property is acquired to eliminate
hard fee~Ings We will, however, seek ~o .... ~ flr~ancial assist-
anco from the Stnte of Florl~]a and through the Palm [~ach ~ounty
~ommission in an effort to afford the e:~tabiis[~.ent of a State P~rk
along the ocean at a site deemed by such goverm~ental authorities
as the proper !cea%ion, to affor~ -the negro citlzenr~ of th~ area
with ocean swim,ming facilities.
If your group, i~ oooper.~'tl~:~n with the City C~lssion of tha
Cit[ of ~Iray ~ach, Florida, ere able to a~ee upon o~v
and are fu~her able to agree on the sole met~ds ~th groaps will
use in our endeavors to accomplish said goo!s, we will imm~edianel~
cO--ShOe construction of th~ negro swi~'~ing pool according to the
plans and specifications ?resently on hand and In the place
d~s ignat~d.
~ action of the City Co~maission or the City of Delray ~ach,
Florida~ in co~n~otlon with several emergency ordinances was
desired for the protection of both neg~ end w:~Ites alike and
too are a~rleved t~mt l~ was and i~ necessary to ree;ulate th~
intermingll~ of the races within our co~uni~j and will strive to
exercise our ut~st enmeavors to alleviate the acute inter-~cial
~ W ~
r~tlng this letter we are indulging in ~he
that the s~gners of the communique presented to t~e City Co~isslon
to be the oatstanding negro leaders in om~ coi~nity and as such,
~ request ~d insist upon your cooperation In sol~ing o~ p~bi~
~nd c~r~ you wi~h the responsibility o~ orderly g~idin~ the
~p~la~ion of our co.unity and prevent them from ~r~a~l~ an
imcid~nt ~% ~y result in in,er-racial riot and we ~ turn will
atteapt ~o am~ tbs responsibility In controlling our whl~e
oltime~ wit~ the ~.pe of achiewi~ an orderly and ~telligant
solution ~o our probl~.
Respectfully yours~
Affidavit of Pub|ication
DELRAY BEACH NEWS
Published Weekly
Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida
STATE OF FLORIDA
COUNTY OF PALM BEACH
Before th eundersigned authority personally ~'~~~
appeared ~'-_~._2a'/''~a _/.¥: ~~~
........................................................... PoWE~
that__a___is_.__~~~ ~ .... ~N~ A~O~ ~'~r0~'s~ v~cLm°X ~ r~sO~xv~.on
who
on
oath
says
VID~A~AND VE~IC~ES IN TH~ PU~
of the Delray
............................................................ GE~W~ONS; AU~HOB~
Beach News, a weekly newspaper published at TH~,~NFISCATION THE~0F
Delray Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida;
iNTER~RENCE ~VITH ANY ~ PO~
that the attached copy of advertisement, being a O~XCER IN ENPORCINC THI$ OR~
.............. ~ ...... ............................
in the ............................................................... Court,
was published in said newspaper in the issues of
Affiant further says that the said Delray
Beach News is a newspaper published at Dekay
Beach, in said Palm Beach County, Florida, and
that the said newspaper has heretofore been con-
tinuously published in said Palm Beach County,
Florida, each '~h~~--e~red ~s
second class mail matter at the post office in
Delray Beach, in said Palm Beach County, Flor-
ida, for a period of one year next preceding the
first pub~eation of the attached copy of a~er-
tisement; and affiant further says that ................~
has neither paid nor promised any person, firm
or corporation any discount, rebate, commission
or refund for the purpose of securing this adver-
tisement for publication in the said newspaper.
(SE~L) Notary Public
Notary Public, State of Florida at Large
My Commission Expires Oct 24, 1959.