A Polk County civil rights advocate was
remembered 13 years after her death with a post office named in her honor.
Legislation to dedicate Winter Haven’s Florence
Villa Station to Althea Margaret Daily Mills Post Office Building was
introduced by Congressman Darren Soto in 2019 and signed into law by President
Donald Trump the following year.
Besides helping to integrate schools in the
Polk County School District, Ms. Mills broke color barriers to become Winter
Haven’s first black career postal worker and eventually became manager of the
Florence Villa Finance Unit.
Speaking to an assembled crowd, Florida 2
District Manager Steve Hardin said the Postal Service was “proud to join Ms.
Mills family to remember her strength, courage and commitment. She helped end
segregation in Polk County schools and was a dedicated postal employee. It is
our privilege to rename the Florence Villa Station in her honor.”
The distinction is reserved for a select
group of individuals. The Postal Service has more than 31,000 retail offices.
Of those, less than 900 are dedicated in honor of an individual.
Hardin concluded his speech with a quote from
civil rights advocate Rosa Parks, “To bring about change, you must not be
afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try. Althea Margaret Daily Mills was not
afraid to take that first step. She was not afraid to try. Today we honor her
success.”
First Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Clifford
Dollison gives the invocation at the start of the ceremony as Manager, Customer
Relations Carol Shirley and Florence Villa Manager, Customer Services Brian Cox
look on.
Manager, Customer Relations Carol Shirley
displays the dedication plaque which will hang inside the Florence Villa
Station Post Office.
