'A social justice warrior': Daytona Beach man remembered as tireless advocate for equality
DAYTONA BEACH — Charles W. Cherry II, former publisher of the Daytona Times and Florida Courier, has died.
Cherry was diagnosed with cancer about five years ago, got the upper hand on the disease after receiving cutting-edge care at the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, but then succumbed to the cancer when it came back more aggressively recently.
He was three weeks shy of his 67th birthday when he died July 15.
Percy Williamson, who had known Cherry since the two were tykes in second grade at Campbell Elementary School, remembered his friend as a serious man with a tireless intellect and dedication to racial equality.
"He's always been a social justice warrior," said Williamson, who was Daytona Beach's city leisure services director until his retirement. "He followed in his father's steps as a civil rights leader, but he focused more on economic freedom and entrepreneurship."
He said Cherry was "very, very serious," very well-read, and could speak intelligently on a number of different topics. He wrote several books, including a textbook used in college-preparation classes and seminars called "Excellence Without Excuse: The Black Student's Guide to Academic Excellence."
Cherry also believed newspapers such as his family's Daytona Times and Florida Courier that are aimed at Black readers are important to give "African Americans more of a voice," Williamson said.
Charles Cherry II: A scholar, lawyer and businessman
Cherry, whom friends and family knew as Chuck, was born and raised in Daytona Beach and graduated from Seabreeze High School in 1974. Cherry was "an outstanding basketball player" on the Seabreeze team, said longtime friend Cynthia Slater.
He left Daytona Beach after high school and went to Morehouse College, a private historically Black men's liberal arts college in Atlanta where he was a high jumper on the track team and Student Government Association representative. He earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in journalism at Morehouse in 1978.
Cherry decided to continue his education at the University of Florida, where he worked on his Master of Business Administration and law degrees at the same time. He received both degrees in 1982.
Cherry was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1983, and he served as a prosecutor in southern Florida.
He practiced law for more than 20 years, and when his father died in 2004, Cherry and his brother took over their father's media business.
Charles Cherry II and Glenn Cherry took over publication of the Daytona Times and the family's other newspaper, the Fort Pierce-based Florida Courier. Charles Cherry II built on the foundation his father created with the Florida Courier and turned it into a statewide newspaper.
The Cherry brothers became owners of Tama Broadcasting, which for a while was the largest privately Black-owned media company in Florida that included the Daytona Times, Florida Courier and 11 radio stations in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The company now has just a few radio stations, one of which is in Daytona Beach.
'Some big shoes to fill'
Charles Cherry II came back to Daytona Beach about eight years ago, Slater said.
"We did a lot of civil rights stuff together," said Slater, president of the Volusia County — Daytona Beach NAACP for the past 20 years. "We didn't always agree, but I'd ask him for advice, and he'd ask for my thoughts."
Charles Cherry II retired as publisher of the Daytona Times and Florida Courier in 2020. He also retired from practicing law.
Along with being publisher of the newspapers, Charles Cherry II served as general manager of the family-owned radio station WPUL-AM and hosted the station's "Free Your Mind" radio show.
Cherry was the son of Julia T. Cherry and Charles W. Cherry Sr., founder of the Daytona Times and Florida Courier newspapers. The elder Cherry founded the Daytona Times in 1978. He was also a president of the Florida NAACP and a Daytona Beach city commissioner.
Charles W. Cherry Sr. moved to Daytona Beach in 1952 and became one of the community's leading civil rights activists. He participated in sit-ins, marches and labor strikes during the 1960s and 1970s to fight for racial integration and social justice.
He served as president of the Volusia County branch of the NAACP in 1971, was president of the Florida NAACP from 1974 to 1984, and then led the local chapter again. He was elected to the Daytona Beach City Commission in 1995 and served as a city commissioner until his death in 2004.
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Charles Cherry II "had some big shoes to fill when it came to his father," Slater said.
Like his father, the younger Cherry "loved his community," she said.
He was also forceful when necessary.
"He called out wrong when he saw it was wrong," Slater said. "He was unapologetic if he felt he was right. He was very outspoken."
Cherry was buried Tuesday at the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery in Gainesville. Details are still being worked out for a memorial service that will take place in Daytona Beach.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Former Daytona Times and Florida Courier publisher died July 15
