Rev. C.K. Steele:
A Legacy of Change, Inspiration and Hope
By Linda F. Moultry
Posted: 4:49p.m .est, October 08, 2006

Rev. C.K. Steel leader of Tallahassee Bus Boycott.

There are few people in Tallahassee who inspire a legacy of honor, respect, and admiration the way Rev. Charles Kenzie Steele does. Just the mention of his name, and many people in Tallahassee, particularly those who knew him personally, remember him as a leader, a minister, a teacher, a mentor, a friend...and an inspiration. In many biographies and articles about Steele, he is mentioned as all of the above, as well as a close friend and colleague of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and an often-overlooked figure in the history of the civil rights movement. "Unlike some leaders, he not only brought about change, but helped heal the community," said Eckerd College history professor Gregory Padgett.


Rev. Steele is probably most remembered locally as one of the most recognizable faces of the Tallahassee Civil Rights Movement. In 1956, Steele led the Tallahassee bus boycott, which lasted from May to December of that year. The boycott was begun in conjunction with an effort spreading across the South for equal rights as well as a specific incident locally. On May 26, 1956, Florida A&M University students: Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson were arrested because they did not give up their seats to white passengers. Following the arrest, FAMU students decided they were tired of adhering to such unequal and unfair treatment and began a boycott of FAMU students from the city bus system.

Three days later, on May 29th, Steele held a meeting at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, attended by 500 blacks. It was at this meeting the decision was made to create an organization to represent the black community during the boycott. That night the Inter Civic Council was created, consisting mostly of self-employed businessmen and clergymen who were economically independent of whites. It was through this organization and the result of the May 29th meeting that the boycott was begun. It was part of an effort to integrate public transportation in the South, including Tallahassee. The Tallahassee bus boycott continued until 1958. However, despite the fact that the Tallahassee bus boycott was one of Steele's brightest moments in the national spotlight, he was involved in civil rights in a variety of other ways, both as a front-man and founder, as well as serving behind the scenes.

Rev. Steele in front of Bethel Baptist Church

Charles Kenzie Steele was born in 1914 in Bluefield, West Virginia. Following a lifelong dream of becoming a minister, he moved to Tallahassee in the early part of the 1950s to serve as the pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, after serving at other churches in Alabama and Georgia. During his tenure at Bethel, he preached the Christian message of universal brotherhood. He also saw the church through many changes, including relocating from the church⤙s original structure to its present one. He remained the church⤙s pastor until his death of bone marrow cancer in 1980. "He was so big in spirit," said Laura Dixie, a longtime member of Bethel. "He was as strong as anything and was so humble."

Steele was known as a progressive and positive voice in the community, pushing for change and helping to ease the rocky transition that comes with it. "I never saw him get angry and he never raised his voice at anyone," said Dixie. "He was a good listener and a great man." In addition to serving Bethel, Steele also became a charter member of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference and marched with King on several occasions during the Civil Rights Movement.

He was also president of the Inter-Civic Council (ICC), the organization formed with the purpose of organizing the Tallahassee bus boycott. At one ICC meeting, Steele was quoted as saying: "They have thrown rocks, they have smashed car windows, they have burned crosses. Well, I am appy to state here tonight that I have no fear of them and, praise God, I have no hate for them." He also championed for equal rights in schools, housing, and government across the Southern region. There is a statue of him at the TalTran Bus Terminal (also named in his honor) on Tennessee Street, and it the only statue of a person in the state's capital. This is a tangible testament to the way Steele was able to influence a positive change in this community. And, it is because of that fact that the Rev. C.K. Steele legacy will remain an inspiration for generations to come.

 

 

 

.