by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
They were leaders in 1958, so it was fitting that they lead the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation.
The 1958 Matthew Gilbert High School football team was the first all-black state champions, but they weren’t officially recognized until recently because segregation rules didn’t allow them to play white teams. Surviving members of the team received state champion rings and letterman jackets with “State Champions” on the back that they proudly displayed as grand marshals for this year’s parade.
The parade featured about 186 floats that toured Downtown Jacksonville from Jefferson and Water Streets along Bay Street and finished at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. A celebration at Metropolitan Park followed the parade.
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