“OCIA represented a concerned group in Oviedo whose voices were not being heard,” says Danny McKinney, past president of the organization and chair of the 50 Years of Service celebration. Danny, a United States Air Force veteran, has been part of OCIA since 2002. “OCIA formed when the city was not so open-minded.”

Kathy Hunt, the current OCIA president, was the first black student in South Charleston, West Virginia, to integrate her school in the early 1960s. She says it’s important that OCIA members share and tell their stories for all generations.

“The 50th anniversary was not only to celebrate our humble beginnings, but to share a history with people in the community,” Kathy explains. “We are not looking back. We are moving forward, but we all need to know the history to do so.”

OCIA founders helped desegregate a number of local businesses, including a barbershop, through nonviolent protests. They also sought to have their causes addressed by local government, especially equal housing and voting rights.