4. Ocoee (Florida)
On Election Day in 1920, Ocoee’s Black residents faced brutal violence when they tried to exercise their right to vote. White mobs retaliated by burning Black homes, churches, and businesses, forcing survivors to flee for their lives. The devastation effectively erased Ocoee’s Black community, and the town remained nearly all-white for generations. The Ocoee Massacre stands as a chilling reminder of the fight for voting rights and the consequences of racial hatred. Read more at NPR
