Carrie Elizabeth “Bette” Davis Wimbish was born in 1924 in Perry, Florida, and grew up during a time when segregation shaped nearly every part of daily life. Despite the limits set around her, she developed a steady sense of purpose that guided her throughout her life. Education became her road forward, and she eventually studied at Florida A&M University before turning toward the law as a tool for justice.
When she later moved to St. Petersburg, she and her husband, Ralph, became central figures in the push for civil rights in the region. Their home quickly became more than a residence. It became a meeting place, a safe space, and a shelter for people who were denied access elsewhere due to segregation. This hospitality was not symbolic. It met an urgent need and helped cultivate a community tied together by shared resolve.
An advocate for the misrepresented
Through the 1950s and 1960s, the Wimbishes joined and organized local efforts to challenge discriminatory practices. They were involved in boycotts, public pressure campaigns, and negotiations that pushed St. Petersburg to reconsider its treatment of Black residents. Bette and her husband were very active in the community and were even involved in a theatrical production of “Purlie Victorious” at Gibbs High School.
Bette often balanced these public responsibilities with her legal studies, especially after Ralph’s early death. Instead of stepping back following the loss of her husband, she pushed ahead, completing law school and returning to St Petersburg as the area’s first Black woman attorney…