Dr. Elmer Ward, the son of former slaves, invested tremendous energy and intelligence to help gain access to the many “public” places where blacks in Dade County were denied entry: to the voting booths, on juries, and at golf courses, beaches and movie theatres. He eventually became a noted leader in the long effort to remove the many barriers that blocked full black participation in civic life, and figured in almost every round of the extended fight to end racial discrimination in Miami/Dade County. Dr. Ward was a registered pharmacist and owner of the Economy Drug Store, located at 1101 N.W. Third Avenue in Overtown. He retired in 1955 but remained active in community affairs until his death.

Dr. Ward’s contributions to the community were numerous and significant. He was an original member of the Executive Board of the Greater Miami Urban League for fifteen years, and he was the first black man to serve on a Circuit Court Jury in Dade County. In 1957, he led a campaign that gained equal access for blacks to the Miami Springs Golf Course, a property owned by the City of Miami. Dr. Ward helped to spearhead the efforts that resulted in the opening of Virginia Key Beach in 1945, which then became the only beach open to blacks in Dade County.

Following other organized efforts to abolish discriminatory practices in public accommodations, Dr. Ward became one of the first blacks to eat in a white-owned restaurant in Miami. Along with other black residents who were determined to see things change, he helped to gather the evidence needed to win a court-ordered victory that opened local theatres to all races. As part of this campaign, Dr. Ward and others demanded admission to a whites-only theater and were, predictably, denied entrance.

When an organization founded by Dr. Ward, the Dade County Young Democratic Organization, gave him a testimonial he said, “. . . for 50 years I have been involved directly in every program available to me to make whatever contribution I could to about a greater degree of human liberty and respect. I don’t believe in violence, but I’ve been militant since I was 15. I’m a nonviolent political activist, operating on all fronts that affect the black community as well as the poor of all ethnic and religious groups.”

Dr. Ward, a pharmacist, settled in Miami in 1926. Among his numerous distinctions, he was a charter member of Sigma Alpha Chapter, the first Omega Psi Phi Fraternity chapter in Miami. He lived here until his death in 1981 at age 100.

Sources:    Article by Willie Mae Peterkin In The Miami News, July 26, 1973: “Dr. Elmer Ward Has paid His Dues,” July 17, 1975. The Miami Times: and “Virginia Key Beach,” August entry, “1996 Miami/Dade County African-American History Calendar.”