Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Born in the Bahamas in 1898, Branhilda Richardson Knowles immigrated to the Deerfield Beach area in 1922. Knowles was trained as a midwife, and due to Jim Crow era segregation, helped deliver babies for the African American community in Deerfield Beach. For many people of color living in Deerfield Beach during the early 20th century, formal medical treatments such as hospital birth were not available. Knowles played a vital role in helping improve the quality of life for many African American residents. In 2018, the City of Deerfield Beach named this 3.3-acre park in her honor. Beginning in the late 1800s, the park served as a cemetery for African Americans, many of whom were Bahamians that lived and worked in Deerfield Beach. Segregation prohibited people of color from being buried in the city cemetery during the Jim Crow era. The cemetery on this site was in use until 1950. Development threatened to destroy the burial ground in 2015, but after archaeological investigation uncovered numerous signs of human remains, the city purchased the land to preserve it. At the park, conch shells serve as a reminder of the original grave markers used by Bahamians, like Knowles, who came to Deerfield Beach for a better life.