Well-known civil rights activist, Rev. Al Sharpton, will be officiating at a memorial service for Minister Franklin Florence in Rochester on Friday, Feb. 10. Florence, a major figure in Rochester’s civil rights history, died on Feb. 1 at the age of 89.
His granddaughter, Clianda Florence-Yarde, said that Sharpton will officiate at a service Friday evening at Central Church of Christ, 101 S. Plymouth Ave., where Florence was a founding pastor and where his son, Minister Clifford Florence Sr. is also based.
There will be a wake from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by a service led by Sharpton from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
There will be another service on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Franklin Florence rose to prominence after the July 1964 uprising in Rochester, and was the first president of the Black activist group FIGHT (Freedom, Independence, God, Honor, Today) and took on Eastman Kodak Co. over discriminatory hiring practices, creating the foundation for a more diverse corporate workforce.
FIGHT also rallied people on housing, policing and schools — all issues that remain in the forefront.
This story includes reporting by WXXI's Brian Sharp and Jeremy Moule.
