SAINT PETERSBURG, Fla. — When Betty Harden agreed to a beach trip with friends nearly 70 years ago, she didn’t realize it would end with cameras, reporters and the city closing all of Spa Beach in downtown St. Petersburg simply because they were Black.
At that time, the beaches and pools in St. Petersburg were still segregated by race. If you were Black, you were not allowed to visit the whites-only Pier or Spa Beach. African Americans were relegated to South Mole Beach near the city’s sewage plant. Today, the area is known as Demens Landing.
“When we talked about going to the beach, I thought that’s where we were going,” Harden said…