The West Augustine Improvement Association was founded in 1956 by educator and activist, Nellie Meade, who was passionate about the maintenance of local African-American cemeteries. In recent years, the association has obtained ownership of the San Sebastian and Pinehurst cemeteries, two of the oldest African-American cemeteries in Florida, and is working to clean them, maintain them, and replace worn grave markers to ensure that the legacies of our ancestors are protected for future generations.
The WAIA is now ably led by West Augustine resident, Willie Cooper, whose mission of improving the lives of West Augustine residents shows through his support of various community projects varying from neighborhood clean-ups, a summer program to empower young girls, and an oral history program to document all perspectives of the West Augustine experience for posterity.
The West Augustine Improvement Association holds their meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 7pm at Collier-Blocker-Puryear Park at 10 North Holmes Boulevard. We always welcome new members, so please come out and find out more about us!
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