

“No force is more powerful than that of Americans making a difference in their communities. Across our country, citizens like Veronica Shoemaker have dedicated their careers to opening doors of opportunities for others. Their work reminds us of our charge to empower others and to build a brighter day for our children and grandchildren.”
—Barack Hussein Obama
44th President of the United States of America
The NAACP suit claimed that the lack of black representation resulted in discrimination in city services to black residents over the years and filed a lawsuit to change the election process. The successful lawsuit instituted a single-member district system in Fort Myers, whereby the commissioners are elected only by voters from within their districts.
Shoemaker was finally elected in 1982, in the last at-large election by a record-breaking voter turnout in the predominantly black polling wards.


Veronica Shoemaker
Former City Councilwoman
Veronica Shoemaker was raised in a home on a dirt road in Dunbar. At one time in her life, she had to ensure she was literally on the other side of the tracks before dark. It was the law.
Ms. Shoemaker became an active member of her community, as an advocate for civil and human rights.
“It took fighting every week, every month, every day, to take control of the political process. After 17 long years of knocking on doors and running for public office, my victory opened the doors for other blacks. It gave them incentive, initiative, and dedication to the political process that controls our livelihoods, our children, and our homes—our very lives.
Blacks have learned that the answer isn’t through throwing the brick but through casting the ballot.”