Reverend C.K. Steele

(1914–1980)

Charles Kenzie Steele was born on February 17, 1914, in Bluefield, West Virginia, but
he became the heartbeat of Tallahassee’s civil rights movement. Rev. Steele was a
towering figure, both physically and in spirit. As a pastor and community leader, Steele’s
commitment to equality was grounded in his belief that the church should be at the
forefront of the fight for justice.

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In the 1950s and 1960s, Tallahassee was a city divided by segregation, but Steele saw
a future where all people, regardless of color, could live and thrive equally. He led the
Tallahassee Bus Boycott in 1956, inspired by the Montgomery movement led by Dr.
King, and brought the city’s Black community together in a unified stand against
injustice. Steele’s activism didn’t stop with transportation. He fought for equal access to
education, jobs, and public accommodations, confronting the deeply ingrained racism of
the time.

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C.K. Steele’s activism wasn’t just about Tallahassee—it was about inspiring other cities,
like Jacksonville and Pensacola, to rise up and demand justice. His leadership in the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference alongside Dr. King made him a national
figure, but his heart was always in Tallahassee, where he tirelessly worked to uplift his
people. Rev. Steele’s life and legacy remind us that the fight for civil rights is not only
about changing laws but about changing hearts.