Zacariah D. Green, sometimes spelled Zacariah D. Greene, was an American lawyer, principal, and community leader in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. He worked as a lawyer in South Carolina before moving to Tampa where he served as principal of Harlem Academy School. He was also a leader in the St. Paul's AME Church. Greene earned a law degree from

Allen University Allen University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Columbia, South Carolina. It has more than 600 students and still serves a predominantly Black constituency. The cam ...

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

and was admitted to the bar in 1890. He represented clients in

Georgetown, South Carolina Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...

. He eventually left South Carolina for Florida. After he submitted signatures to become a candidate for municipal judge in 1908, a local election, Tampa city officials blocked him and Judge Wall blocked his appeal. D.B. McKay, Wall and others organized the

White Municipal Party The White Municipal Party was a white supremacist political organization established in Tampa, Florida to eliminate African American influence in municipal elections. The group limited local elections to white candidates for many years by excluding ...

in Tampa to exclude African Americans from elections. The group dominated local elections and every Tampa mayor belonged to it from 1910 until 1947. In 1887, Joseph A. Walker, a carpenter and merchant, became the first African American elected to Tampa's city council.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Zachariah D. Year of birth missing Year of death missing Allen University alumni 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century African-American lawyers