John Sunday was a black businessman and civic leader who held a number of political offices in Reconstruction-era Pensacola.
| John Sunday | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 20, 1838 Pensacola, Florida |
| Died | January 7, 1925 Pensacola, Florida |
| Occupation | Businessman, politician |
| Spouse | Seraphine |
| Parents | John Sunday Jinny |
Contents
Early life
Sunday was born in 1838 to John Sunday, a white man, and Jinny, an enslaved woman. Sunday's father was murdered shortly after his birth.
Military service
During the Civil War, Sunday served in the Union Army, first with the 6th Regiment of the Corps d'Afrique and later with the 78th Infantry, United States Colored Troops. Sunday participated in the Siege of Port Hudson. among other engagements.
Post-war career
After the war, Sunday returned to Pensacola with a wife, Seraphine, whom he had met in Louisiana. Sunday quickly became a leader in the black community. Sunday served in the Florida House of Representatives in 1874 and was later elected to the Pensacola City Council.
Sunday founded a successful contracting firm, which built hundreds of houses and commercial buildings throughout the city, as well as several other business and real estate investments. When Jim Crow laws forced African-American business owners out of downtown Pensacola, Sunday helped establish Belmont-DeVilliers as Pensacola's primary black business district. When Pensacola's black Catholics formed St. Joseph Catholic Church, Sunday provided the land for the new church.
By the time Sunday retired, he was quite wealthy; in his 1907 book “The Negro in Business,” famed black educator Booker T. Washington called Sunday "the wealthiest colored man in that section of the state," estimating Sunday's fortune at $125,000, or more than $3.4 million in 2018 dollars.
John Sunday House
In 1901, Sunday built the home which would later be referred to as the John Sunday House at the northwest corner of Romana and Reus streets in the Tanyard neighborhood. Despite pleas from preservationists, the house was demolished on July 16, 2016.
Death
Sunday died on January 7, 1925, at the age of 86, and was buried in St. Michael's Cemetery.
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