Say the words “ Groveland Four” and it immediately conjures up memories of four innocent black men accused of rape in 1949 and the mob violence that followed – for those familiar with history.

However, a new wave of residents know nothing about the events that sparked national headlines and eventually helped reshape the nation’s conscience, and that’s what motivates the town museum’s curator to work on a new display.

“It’s still kind of early on,” says Jason Brown, curator and president of the Groveland Historical Society.

Jason, who calls himself “a history nerd,” is determined not only to tell the story, but do it accurately and with style.

Ernest Thomas, Samuel Shepherd, Walter Irvin and Charles Greenlee were officially exonerated by Lake County Circuit Judge Heidi Davis in 2021

See Full Page