The Roll Call: Biloxi Wade-In Memorial

The Biloxi Beach wade-ins are described as one of South Mississippi’s most significant Civil Rights events. News 25’s Kendra Turley takes us inside a ceremony in Biloxi dedicated to the brave individuals who fought for equality along the Gulf shore.
Today, anyone can walk freely along the shores of Biloxi, but that wasn’t always the case. Wade-in participant Phillip Rosado said, “Felt lost, left out, unworthy, I didn’t know why they didn’t like me. What had I done?”
At the time, the city’s entire 26 mile long shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico was segregated.
Eager for change, a local African-American physician, Dr. Gilbert Mason Sr., led the black community in a series of wade-in protests.
Organizations from all across the Gulf Coast organized a night to pay tribute to those frustrated black residents who stormed the beaches of Biloxi and survived the brutal attacks of what is now known as “Bloody Sunday.” “Whenever I think about this event, it brings tears to my eyes. It was the darkest day I ever had in my life. It was like horror,” said Rosado.
The names of the 159 wade-in participants were read aloud to the crowd, 67 of whom are still living today. “This is a very important part of history that we sometimes don’t illuminate and share with the Coast. So, we’re taking a moment out to just share with the Mississippi Gulf Coast residents about what’s going on here and the Civil Rights movement,” said Jaleasa Walden with the Steps Coalition Community Engagement and Training.
William Winter, who served as the governor of Mississippi during the time of the wade-ins, tells News 25 the racial progress Mississippi has made over the years is encouraging but there is still much work to be done. “We want to be sure that we don’t ever slip back. Each one of us still has a responsibility to see to it that we treat everybody right.”