ORLANDO, Fla. — Descendants of the Groveland Four will join state lawmakers and community leaders Friday in Orlando for a luncheon honoring the men’s legacy and marking a historic step toward restitution.
State Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis, D-Ocoee, organized the event after Florida approved $4 million in compensation for the families of Charles Greenlee, Ernest Thomas, Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin.
The newly approved compensation—$1 million for each family’s surviving estate—is the latest chapter in a decades-long fight led by the men’s relatives, historians, attorneys, and Central Florida community advocates.
“This luncheon is an opportunity to honor their resilience, recognize those who helped secure justice and ensure that the legacy of Greenlee, Thomas, Shepherd and Irvin continues to educate and inspire future generations,” Bracy Davis said.
Why it matters to Central Florida
The Groveland Four case is rooted in Lake County but has significance across Central Florida. It exposed how racial discrimination within the criminal justice system could destroy families and communities—and how long it can take to correct an official injustice.
Related-->WFTV Channel 9 Groveland Four documentary
The case also drew national attention through the work of civil rights attorney Thurgood Marshall, who helped defend Irvin, and author Gilbert King, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Devil in the Grove, brought the story to a wider audience.
For descendants and local advocates, Friday’s gathering is not only a celebration of the compensation. It is also an opportunity to preserve the history of a case that shaped the region’s understanding of race, law enforcement and equal justice.
Event details
The luncheon is scheduled for 2 to 3 p.m. Friday at the Orange County Multicultural Center Senior Center, 7149 W. Colonial Drive in Orlando.
Representatives from the city of Groveland and more than 20 Florida lawmakers, including members of both political parties, are expected to attend.
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