ST AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- It's an old Baptist church rich with history, full of members who know struggle. "We are one big family," said Pearl Stevens.
And during the summer of 1964, hundreds filled St Mary's Missionary's pews as Dr. Martin Luther King organized marches and sit-ins.
"It's amazing. It's amazing to know that he was here. It's amazing to look back at the history, and the things that we have gone through," said Stevens.
Back then they fought for their civil rights. And they are fighting again to save their church from foreclosure. "We are just going to do all we can," said Stevens.
They were served with papers after First Federal was bought out by T.D. Bank. Now T.D. Bank wants the entire $211,000 that remain on the loan. "I believe in the Lord and that all things are possible through him," said Stevens.
church members are rallying again, this time organizing fundraisers until they get every red cent they owe. "It means the world to me to know that we are still standing in a building that has been here for such a long time," she said.
The odds may be against them, but a civil rights leader showed them first-hand how much can change when they all come together with a common goal.
Their first fundraiser is a sing-a-thon. It will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at St Mary's Missionary Baptist Church.
If you want to view a lot of photos and history from the Civil Rights era in Florida,
visit Florida Memory, a website from the Division of Library and Information services.
