“Eartha Mary Magdalene White was born in Jacksonville Nov 8,1876. Eartha M. M. White was a humanitarian and philanthropist who dedicated her life to the betterment of the poor and needy in Florida, specifically African American communities in Jacksonville. She graduated from the Stanton School in Jacksonville and became a classically trained opera singer in New York around the turn of the century. Miss White moved back to Florida to build the first public school for African Americans in Bayard, a small community in Duval County, south of Jacksonville. She started the Clara White Mission for the Indigent which worked to feed and serve the poor and homeless community of Jacksonville. In addition, she founded the Boy’s Improvement Club and Oakland Park, as well as many other community organizations.”
~Florida Historical Society
