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PROGRAM SUCCESS – JANUARY 2009
DANIEL WEBSTER PERKINS
BAR ASSOCIATION
COMMITTED TO SERVICE
The Daniel Webster Perkins Bar Association, Inc., was named
after the great pioneer who was one of the first African-Americans to practice law in Duval County, Florida. Its mission and
purpose continues to be that of a change agent to improve the
plight of the African-American community and to erase all affects
of past and present discrimination.
RESTORATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS
and VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
Daniel Webster Perkins was born January 9, 1879, in Elizabeth City,
North Carolina. His studies resulted in degrees from North Carolina
State Normal College (1897), Temple University (1899) and Shaw
University Law School. After practicing law in Knoxville, Tennessee
and Tampa, Florida, he settled in Jacksonville, Florida in 1919,
where he practiced until his death in 1972.
Attorney Perkins distinguished himself as a proponent of civil
rights, a community leader and a member of the bar who was genuinely interested in the careers of his younger Black colleagues.
Accordingly, in 1968, the former Colored Lawyers Association
changed its name in honor of Daniel Webster Perkins. Today, many
of Jacksonville’s local attorneys hold membership in the Daniel
Webster Perkins Bar Association determined to be change agents.
Recently, the bar association has contributed greatly through its community
service. The D. W. Perkins Bar Association has held at least eight different
Restoration of Civil Rights and Voter Registration Drives since June 23,
2007. Additionally, over a two month period, the association held four different candidate forums to inform voters. Moreover, the Association (by way
of more than 20 members), volunteered as Florida Voting Rights Attorneys.
On June 23, 2007, members of the Perkins Bar joined with Senator Tony
Hill, NAACP- Jacksonville Chapter, ACLU, Florida Coastal Law SchoolBLSA and Mad Dads to help restore civil rights. More than a hundred people
showed up to James Weldon Johnson eager to change this area of their lives.
Governor Crist and his cabinet approved changes that automatically restore
the civil rights of some who have prior felony convictions. Some estimate,
over 515,000 persons in the State of Florida, will benefit from this new
process and are eligible to have their rights restored.
The rights that are restored are the right to vote, the
right to hold public office, the right to serve on a
jury, and the right to apply for occupational licenses.
One of the main challenges with this effort is
achieving successful communication to those who
have lost their rights. Many have changed addresses
or don’t have stable addresses. Many do not know
that their names are one of thousands on a list, just
waiting on a good address to send their certificate
of restoration.
All participants completed the one page application
to be sent in to Tallahassee. Several persons, who
attended the event, learned that their names were on
the list and they were able to immediately register to
vote. Representatives from the Supervisor of Elections office were present along with the media, including the Times Union
see PERKINS page 25