1932-2014: Leader of Civil Rights Fight in Polk Robert Austin Dies at 82 BY SUZIE SCHOTTELKOTTE THE LEDGER BARTOW | Funeral services will be held Saturday for Robert Donald Austin, a leader in Polk Countys early civil rights efforts who later became a Baptist minister and pastor in Frostproof. He died Sunday at his home in Bartow at the age of 82. In remembering Austin this week, friends recalled a man who was compassionate, honest, level-headed and inspiring. He spoke with wisdom and conviction, said longtime friend Leo Longworth, and when he did, people listened to what he had to say. People can see when you care and are genuinely concerned about the community, they can see that commitment inside you. Robert was that kind of person. He was a man of God and a man of the people. A Lake Wales native, Austin graduated from Roosevelt High School, a segregated school for black students, in 1951. He went on to Florida A&M University, where he pitched the schools first no-hitter baseball game, and was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates after graduation. He also married his wife, Josephine, in 1955. Upon returning to Polk County, he worked for the city of Bartow for 19 years, serving as director of Bartows Carver and Polk Street recreation centers. As the civil rights efforts gained momentum in the 1960s and 1970s, Austin became a driving force in groups like the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapters and other grassroots efforts, said Lakeland lawyer Larry Hardaway. He was the charter president of the Polk County Voters League, which assisted in educating black voters, Hardaway said. Robert had a high level of integrity and honesty, and he took a straight-forward approach to challenges. He was a leader when we needed him, because people trusted him. In Bartow, Austin served on the Concerned Citizens Civic Council, representing the group in negotiations with police regarding conflicts between officers and residents in predominantly black East Bartow. He also served on the Polk County Opportunity Council. Longtime friend Elmer Dixon said Austin never committed himself to anything he didnt intend to finish. He completed every assignment, he said. He took the important things very seriously, and he believed in doing the right thing, no matter what side it was on. If something made sense to him, he was behind it all the way. Dixon, who often played golf with Austin, recalled Thursday he rarely saw his friend angry. The things that would make other people angry, those things didnt seem to affect him the way they would a lot of people, he said. He kept a smile on his face most of the time. Austin became a minister in 1986 while a member of Mount Gilboa Missionary Baptist Church in Bartow. Five years later, he became pastor of First Baptist Hilltop Church of Frostproof, where he served for 21 years. He and his wife had three sons, James, Marion and Robert Jr., and three daughters, Wanda, Pamela and Patricia. He is preceded in death by Wanda and Robert Jr., and a grandson, Robert III. He had 14 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. His funeral will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. at Bartow First Assembly of God Church, 915 S. Broadway Ave. Longworth, who is a Bartow city commissioner, said Austin dedicated his life to being a servant. He is leaving a strong legacy of what it means to be a servant to the community, he said. He represented everybody, not just the black community. We have lost a Trojan, he said, a real soldier.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 11:08:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015