Osceola High honors memory of first African-American graduate

During a stirring event Monday, Osceola High School dedicated the Charles L. Martin Alumni Monument, marking the first African-American graduate of OHS.

Hosted by the Black Student Alliance at OHS, the ceremony was attended by former classmates of Martin, both from OHS and from the segregated Kissimmee High School, as well as local elected officials, friends and family members of Martin, who passed away in 2021. Part of the ceremony was the dedication of a plaque honoring Martin, located in the school’s main courtyard.

After passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, previously segregated schools were mandated to integrate. In Kissimmee, the all-black Kissimmee High would be joined in with the all-white Osceola High for the 1966-1967 school year. Hoping to get an early start on the process, the school district asked for volunteers from Kissimmee High to be the first to integrate Osceola High starting in the fall of 1965. While several students did so, Charles L. Martin was the only senior who volunteered, making him the only African-American member of OHS’  Class of 1966.

Kiniah Rice, the Vice President of the Black Student Alliance, recounted Martin’s story.

“When it came time for graduation, Charles, like every other student, put on his cap and gown, excited to finally walk across that stage as a show of all the hard work he had accomplished that year. Unfortunately, standing in that line with his fellow students was as close as he would get to celebrating his success as he was pulled out of line, wrongfully accused of vandalizing the school, and ripped of the opportunity to walk across that stage and receive his diploma.”

Despite the injustice of this, she noted that, “Today we are here to celebrate who Charles was and what he represents.”

Bob Pollum, OHS class president in 1966, remembered Martin as a “quiet, unassuming individual.”

“Charles should have been the most celebrated of our class, the class of 1966. Tragically, that did not happen. Today I’m comfortable stating that Charles was the most celebrated member of our class.”

Past Osceola Historical Society President and schoolmate Russell Anderson, who graduated a year earlier from Kissimmee High, recalled Martin as “very determined” who worked hard for everything he did. He remembers talking with Martin about his decision to volunteer to OHS and boldly proclaiming, “I will go over there and I will be successful.”

Clifford Youngblood was also a classmate of Martin — who he called “Charlie Boy” — at Kissimmee High, and shared his memories of Martin including his being a drummer Youngblood, ended his remarks with a soulful rendition of Sam Cook’s “A Change Is Coming” on the saxophone.

Deloris McMillon, representing the Osceola NAACP who was herself the first female African-American assistant principal at OHS, noted parallels in her own life to doing something for the first time. She recalled marrying into the extended Martin family in 1966, and in getting to know Charles.

“He was the perfect person to integrate, because he set the tone, he too was tough, and he held out until the end,” she said. “I definitely admire him. In fact, the entire community admires him for his courage and being a brave young man.”

The idea for the Memorial came from members of the Class of 1966. Bob Pollum said, after Monday’s ceremony, he and a few of his classmates were remembering Martin after he passed away.

“We should have done something while Charles was still alive. But we didn’t. I remember reading the obituary and just thinking, ‘Dadgummitt, we should do something to honor his memory and what he did for the community.’ That was the impetus.”