Wilhemina Jakes

"We didn’t set out to make history. We simply did what was right."

Wilhemina Jakes was a trailblazer for civil rights in Tallahassee, Florida. Alongside fellow student Patricia Stephens Due, and Carrie Patterson, Jakes became a pivotal figure in the Tallahassee bus boycott after she refused to sit at the back of a city bus in 1956. This act of defiance led to her arrest and spurred the community to unite in boycotting segregated buses. Her bravery helped set the stage for subsequent desegregation efforts in Florida, and her actions underscored the importance of standing up against racial injustice, no matter the personal risk.