Florida Memory • Greeting Card from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens, May 4, 1960

Florida Memory is administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services, Bureau of Archives and Records Management. The digitized records on Florida Memory come from the collections of the State Archives of Florida and the special collections of the State Library of Florida.

State Archives of Florida

ArchivesFlorida.com
State Archives Online Catalog
ArchivesFlorida.com
ArchivesFlorida.com

State Library of Florida

Related Sites

Listen: The Blues Program

Description of previous item

Description of next item

Greeting Card from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens, May 4, 1960

Page

of 4

Greeting Card from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens, May 4, 1960

Download Citation

Description

Letter from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens regarding something she heard on the radio in Orlando about looking to the future instead of to the past.

Creator

Davis, Bertha E.

To

Due, Patricia Stephens, 1939-2012

Date

1960-05-04

Subjects

African Americans--Civil rights
Civil rights movements--Public opinion
Orlando WDBO Radio (Fla.)
Solidarity

Geographic Term

Orlando
Orange County
Tallahassee
Leon County

[Drawing of a lighthouse by the ocean.]

Title

Greeting Card from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens, May 4, 1960

Subject

African Americans--Civil rights

Solidarity

Civil rights movements--Public opinion

Description

Letter from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens regarding something she heard on the radio in Orlando about looking to the future instead of to the past.

Creator

Davis, Bertha E.

Source

State Archives of Florida, Collection N2015-1

Date

1960-05-04

Format

greeting cards

Language

eng-US

Type

Text

Identifier

n2015-1_b001_f12_20

Coverage

Postwar Florida (1945-1968)

ImageID

n2015-1_b001_f12_20_01

n2015-1_b001_f12_20_02

n2015-1_b001_f12_20_03

n2015-1_b001_f12_20_04

Thumbnail

/fmp/stephens_sisters/thumbnails/n2015-1_b001_f12_20.jpg

Transcript

[Drawing of a lighthouse by the ocean.]

436 N. Eola Dr.

[Orlando]

May 4, 60

Dear Patricia,

This is just a line in addition to my letter of a few days or weeks ago to say keep up your courage. Your friends do not forget you.

No advance is won in the history of civilization unless someone paid a price in struggle and suffering.

I heard a nice thing last night on an [Orlando] WDBO radio: I was not sure who was speaking - He said "we must look to the future [and] not to the past or what [?]

He said let us look at S. Africa [and] at Korea [and] Turkey - we do not want that here -

We can show we are not only good Southerners, but good American. [?].

He was obviously speaking for fair race-relation.

I am sure things will not be the same again [and] before your "sit-in" efforts - But do not be disappointed if it does not all come at once - But the road has turned and we are headed in that direction.

This letter is for all of you.

[?] Bertha E. Davis

Miss Bertha E. Davis

436 North Eola Drive

Orlando, Florida

Mrs. Patricia Stephens

c/o Leon Co Jail,

Tallahassee, Fla -

Subject - Corporate

Orlando WDBO Radio (Fla.)

Geographic Term

Orlando (Fla.)

Orange County (Fla.)

Tallahassee (Fla.)

Leon County (Fla.)

To

Due, Patricia Stephens, 1939-2012

Chicago Manual of Style

Davis, Bertha E. Greeting Card from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens, May 4, 1960. 1960-05-04. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. <https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/331222>, accessed 4 November 2025.

MLA

Davis, Bertha E. Greeting Card from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens, May 4, 1960. 1960-05-04. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.<https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/331222>

AP Style Photo Citation

(State Archives of Florida/Davis)

Florida Memory is a digital outreach program providing free online access to select archival records from collections housed in the State Library and Archives of Florida. Florida Memory digitizes materials that illuminate the state's history and culture.

Additional Links

Florida Memory is funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Florida's LSTA program is administered by the Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services.

For FY2025-26, the percentage of total costs for the Florida Memory program financed with federal money is 66%; the federal dollar amount to be spent on the program is $1,027,650. This program does not receive any non-governmental funding.

State Archives of Florida

State Library of Florida

Related Sites

Change Background Color

Change Font-Size

Change Font

Cursor

Highlight Links

Description of previous item

Description of next item

Greeting Card from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens, May 4, 1960

Description

Creator

To

Date

Subjects

Geographic Term

Title

Subject

Description

Creator

Source

Date

Format

Language

Type

Identifier

Coverage

ImageID

Thumbnail

Transcript

Subject - Corporate

Geographic Term

To

Chicago Manual of Style

MLA

AP Style Photo Citation

State Archives of Florida

State Library of Florida

Related Sites

Reconstruction era voting records

Florida's first automobile registrations

Milestones in Florida's political framework

Letters, ephemera and other historical records

Documenting Florida's chief executive officers

Description of previous item

Description of next item

Greeting Card from Bertha E. Davis to Patricia Stephens, May 4, 1960

Description

Creator

To

Date

Subjects

Geographic Term

Title

Subject

Description

Creator

Source

Date

Format

Language

Type

Identifier

Coverage

ImageID

Thumbnail

Transcript

Subject - Corporate

Geographic Term

To

Chicago Manual of Style

MLA

AP Style Photo Citation