Watch: Historical Markers on theColored Beach at Dr. Von D. Mizell – Eula Johnson State Park

This state park was originally a segregated beach for black residents of Dania in the 1950’s, but it had limited access and poor facilities. Civil rights leaders, including Dr. Von D. Mizell and Eula Johnson, held a series of protest wade-ins at Fort Lauderdale’s segregated white beaches in 1961. This led to a landmark court ruling that desegrated beaches and prompted the desegregation of schools. Initially the park was named John U. Lloyd State Park after a Broward County attorney; it was renamed to Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park in 2016.