Robert W. Saunders Sr.
Robert W. Saunders Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 9, 1921 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | March 20, 2003 (aged 81) |
| Known for | Civil rights activist |
| Children | 1 |
Robert W. Saunders Sr. (June 9, 1921 – March 20, 2003) was an influential African American civil rights activist. He served in the NAACP and was its field director for Florida from 1951 until 1966.[1] He participated in the Civil Rights Movement in Florida, where he organized protests against discrimination.[2]
Early life
Saunders was born on June 9, 1921, in West Tampa. He went to Bethune-Cookman University before getting drafted. He served for the Army Air Corps at Tuskegee Air Field, where he achieved a World War II Victory Medal.[3] After his military career, he went to the Detroit Institute of Technology where he earned a Bachelor of Arts. He then attended University of Detroit Law School.[4]
Political career
In January of 1952, he became NAACP's field director for Florida due to Harry T. Moore, the previous director, being killed in a Ku Klux Klan bombing along with his wife. Saunders worked on facilities and housing and equal pay for black teachers, among others.[5]
He left his position in 1966 and went to work with his friend Roy Wilkins in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He worked there for a decade until 1976, when he returned to Tampa. He directed the Office of Equal Opportunity for the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners until his retirement in 1988.[4]
Death
Saunders died in a car accident on March 20, 2003 at 81.[6] On November 5, 2003, a public library was renamed to the Robert W. Saunders Sr. Public Library in honor of him.[7]
References
- ^ "Saunders, Robert W., Sr. (Robert William), 1921-2003 - Civil Rights Digital Library". crdl.usg.edu. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ "Robert W. Saunders Sr. - (Florida History) - Vocab, Definition, Explanations | Fiveable". fiveable.me. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
- ^ "Robert W. Saunders, Sr". rwsaunders. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
- ^ a b "Robert W. Saunders, Sr. | HCPLC". hcplc.org. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
- ^ Saunders, Robert W. (Robert William) (2000). Bridging the gap : continuing the Florida NAACP legacy of Harry T. Moore, 1952-1966. Internet Archive. Tampa, Fla. : University of Tampa Press. ISBN 978-1-879852-66-2.
- ^ Dennis, Craig Basse; Brady. "Bob Saunders, civil rights activist, dies". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Robert W. Saunders Senior Public Library". bestpubliclibraries.org. Retrieved 2025-09-26.