Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 6-21-19

Feature
Celebration Planned To Honor Community Activist
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Saturday, June 29th, members of the community will gather to celebrate the life and contributions of a community activist. The event will take place at the Loretta Ingraham Recreation Center, 1611 N. Hubert Av- enue, Tampa, 33607, from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
Mrs. Loretta Walton Ingraham and her twin brother, Leslie Walton, were born on June 2, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois.
Her daughter, Mrs. Susan Bowers, and sons, John and Kenneth, are hosting the event.
Mrs. Bowers said, “My mother often shared with us how she felt a community or- ganizer should operate.
“When dealing with peo- ple, she believed you had to accept people for who they were and where they were in their life experience, before you could help them to grow; you had to educate people on the facts, have compassion, and be dedicated to the cause.
MRS. LORETTA INGRAHAM
“Loretta was like a sculp- tor, craving lasting works and etching them into the memories of her community. She believed and instilled in her children at birth to plant the seed of inspiration and then formulate the burning desire to achieve excellence.” In 1954, Mrs. Ingraham, her husband, John Ingra- ham, Sr., and children moved to the area known as Carver City. It was an all- Black community of profes- sional middle class African
Americans.
During the era of segrega-
tion and inequality, having the ability to purchase a home in Carver City or Lin- coln Gardens community was considered a dream come true.
It was while living in the area that Mrs. Ingraham realized the residents should be part of the decision-mak- ing process pertaining to their community. She be- came a force to be reckoned with.
She became the voice of those who could not or who would not speak for them- selves. She met with city and county officials, she helped galvanize the Black voting community, and she devoted her life to improving the character of the area.
Over the years, she in- volved herself in many gov- ernmental and community activities, such as Neighbor- hood Crime Watch Program, leader of opposition to the Northwest Toll Road, oppo- sition to County Jail West and its expansion, offered to lease family property to relo- cate it, the Mayor’s Task
Force for Community Aware- ness, led the opposition to not close down the Board of County Commission’s West Tampa, II Head Start Pro- gram.
She was also actively in- volved in the safety and beautification of the area, re- questing sidewalks, adequate fire hydrants, street lights, and helped to convince the city to place a buffer wall be- tween the community and City of Tampa Sanitation De- partment.
Mrs. Ingraham became the founder and first Presi- dent of the Carver City and Lincoln Gardens Home As- sociation.
“Loretta Walton In- graham had a goal and that was to fight for the rights and respect for others and their family. To make City Hall and Tampa Police aware that the community was a vi- able community that de- served services and respect. Above all she did it her way,” her daughter said.
Mrs. Ingraham passed on September 27, 1989, at the age of 53.
PAGE 8-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2019