Page 136 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2023
P. 136
LIVING HISTORY
A LEGACY OF
story by Cherie Ward
photos courtesy of Angie Juzang, Clemon Jimerson, and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History
The inviting sugary sand of Biloxi Beach draws families
from near and far eager for an exhilarating day filled with glints of sunshine while splashing
in pristine water, but in the earlier decades not everyone was welcomed on the shoreline of the resort town.
More than 60 years ago, violent protests shook South Mississippi as black people fought for the right to be on the beach. The first Biloxi Wade-In took place
in 1959. At least three other protests followed, all led by local physician Dr. Gilbert Mason, Sr.
On April 24, 1960, 125 volunteers joined in a peaceful wade-in protest.
136 | October 2023
Dr. Gilbert Mason being escorted by police to a Biloxi courthouse.
