Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum
Camilla Thompson
Camilla Thompson grew up in the LaVilla area when LaVilla was a town of its own. She grew up right by what is now LaVilla School of the Arts, founded by Jane Condon, on Beaver Street. As a young lady, Camilla attended a wooden, two story school in LaVilla. When Mrs. Thompson was growing up, the south was still segregated. Blacks were separated from whites. Blacks were not allowed to use the same water fountains, bathrooms, restaurants, sit in whatever bus seat they wanted, and in many more ways.
Camilla grew up to work in the financial field. Before she got into that field she taught at many different schools, such as, L. Lewis (in LaVilla), Northwestern Jr. Sr., Andrew Jackson , Raines High School, and later went on to more mature studies at FCCJ. After years of teaching, Camilla went into the financial field. During the Civil Rights Movement, she could not participate in any of the sit-ins or riots, because she could not risk losing her job, although her children did participate in some protests.
Mildred Johnson grew up on the north side of Jacksonville. Her field was the financial field, but before she worked in that field she was a teacher. Mildred taught at Gilbert, Livingston and she was also a secretary at Stanton (it was the only black school in the LaVilla area, at that time). Mrs. Johnson's kids went, and then graduated from Andrew Jackson High. Mildred, herself, did not participate in any of the Civil Rights riots, marches, sit-ins, and etc., but her children did participate in some of them. Her children had sit-ins and protests for Black Majorettes, and eventually won that fight. Mildred did not get involved in the Civil Rights movement, because she didn't want the KKK to burn down her house.
LaVilla was the black business area that contained barbershops, beauty shops, and theatres where African American people could mingle comfortably.