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Location: AC.8.B.1.1.1-AC.8.B.1.1.3

Joseph “Joe” Lang Kershaw, Sr. (June 27, 1911–November 7, 1999) was the first African American elected to the Florida Legislature since Reconstruction. Born in Live Oak, Florida, he attended Florida A&M University in the 1930s, where he was involved in early campus life, including the beginnings of the football program, and pledged Kappa Alpha Psi. He later worked as a teacher in Miami-Dade County and as a janitor in the Florida Legislature before entering politics. Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1968, Kershaw served for fourteen years and chaired the Elections Committee, contributing to the establishment of the Florida Human Rights Commission.

The Joseph Lang Kershaw, Sr. Collection documents Kershaw’s life, career, and contributions to Florida’s political and educational history. The collection contains materials related to his personal and academic background, as well as records reflecting his tenure in the Florida House of Representatives.

Included are documents that highlight his legislative work, professional activities, and community involvement. The collection also contains materials pertaining to his family, including references to his father, A. J. Kershaw, as well as correspondence and documents related to colleagues and contemporaries such as Gwendolyn Cherry and Althea Gibson. Collectively, these records provide insight into Kershaw’s role as a pioneering African American legislator and his broader impact on civil rights and public service in Florida.