Civil Rights Leader Remembered by Community
Boca Raton, FL – Alfred “Zack” Straghn, a cornerstone of the Delray Beach community and its history in fighting for civil rights for Black residents, passed away in December 2020 at the age of 92, but the annual Alfred “Zack” Straghn Walk, formed by the Delray Beach community in partnership with Palm Health Foundation’s Lets Move campaign, lived on this year in his memory on Sunday, March 14, 2021.
Community leaders and residents came together to walk the 2.5 miles from the Libby Wesley Amphitheater in Delray Beach, FL, to the ocean and back, a walk Mr. Straghn did on his own five days a week for 60 years of his life. Palm Health Foundation and the Delray community honored him with the Let’s Move Legendary Award in 2015 for his inspiration, which led to his annual Let’s Move community walk, encouraging fellow residents to stay active for good health and longevity.
This year’s event included a memorial ceremony following the walk at the Libby Wesley Amphitheater where City of Delray Beach Vice-Mayor Ryan Boylston remembered Mr. Straghn and performances included the “Straghnettes,” Mr. Straghn’s gospel group from his Straghn & Son Tri-City Funeral Home, gospel artist Carla P. Clark, and saxophonist Eric Akers. Vice-Mayor Boylston declared March 14, 2021 and every second Sunday in March thereafter “Alfred Zack Strong Day.” The bouquet of a dozen roses that were presented to Mr. Straghn each year at the end of the walk in appreciation for all he had done for the community were presented to his wife, Lois.
Mr. Straghn was an inspiration for change for multiple generations of Delray Beach residents, including his dedication to health and wellness, and most important, his decades-long fight for justice as a community activist. The Let’s Move walk to the ocean is symbolic as Mr. Straghn led the effort to desegregate the city’s beach in the early 1960s. He was also a strong voice to integrate the city’s police department. And as a school bus driver in the 1950s, he saw how Black students bussed from Delray Beach to Boca High School were the victims of riots and he quickly picked them up to keep them out of harm’s way. The annual Alfred “Zack” Straghn Day/Walk will continue on as a memory of all his contributions to the community.
About Palm Health Foundation
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $85 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.