105th birthday celebration in honor of local World War II veteran and Civil Rights activist
A 105th birthday celebration was held Sunday at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Gulfport.
Attendees celebrated the long life of Mr. Taylor Howard, a World War II veteran, Civil Rights activist, entrepreneur, and community leader.
He has been a been member of the Morning Star congregation for almost 100 years, where he serves as a spiritual leader and Sunday school teacher.
During World War II, Howard served in the 92nd infantry Buffalo Soldiers, an all-black unit, and fought in North Africa and Italy.
His daughter, Sandra Howard Adams, explains how he became a community activist after returning from combat in a segregated unit. “Civil rights meetings once were held at his movie theatre. There was a bomb threat one time and the FBI had to come and move them from that. Integration of the beaches here, just fighting, living a good citizenship life, but fighting hard in a peaceful way to make life better.”
Taylor Howard also spoke to us about his fight against racial segregation.
