In the earlier part of the 20th century, African Americans in South Florida traveled from places as far as Palm Beach and Miami to use Fort Lauderdale’s beaches but faced strong resistance from oceanfront property owners. On May 14, 1946, a delegation from the Negro Professional and Business Men’s League, Inc., petitioned the Board of County Commissioners for a public bathing beach for colored people in Broward County. In 1954, the county acquired a barrier island site, set it aside for segregation, and promised access, but no road was built. In response, Eula Johnson, Dr. Von D. Mizell, and many others led protest wade-ins on all-white public beaches. In July 1962, the City of Fort Lauderdale sought an injunction to stop the wade-ins, but the court ruled for the defendants, helping launch a broader civil rights movement that soon brought integration to local schools. John U. Lloyd, the county attorney during these landmark cases, became the namesake of the state park, while local black leaders remained largely unrecognized despite actions that permanently changed the landscape.