Paul A. Diggs (1890–1963) was a prominent civic leader, pharmacist, and advocate who played a foundational role in Lakeland’s Black community during the mid-20th century. His legacy is so significant that in 1993, residents successfully petitioned to rename a large historic neighborhood in northwest Lakeland in his honor.+1
Key Roles and Contributions
Diggs was often described as a “Renaissance man” due to the breadth of his involvement in the city:
- Civic Leadership: He served as one of the area’s first Black social workers and managed the Homes at Lake Ridge public housing complex. He was known for holding the community to high standards, even creating awards for the best-groomed yards.
- Public Safety: In 1943, he organized and served as captain of an all-Black auxiliary police force that patrolled the northwest quadrant. Notably, these officers were authorized to make arrests but performed their duties without carrying guns.+1
- Business Owner: He and his second wife, Elizabeth, operated Diggs Soda Shop (located inside Clark’s Pharmacy), which became a central gathering spot for the community.
- Youth & Education: He coached the first football and tennis teams at Washington Park High School and founded the area’s first Boy Scout troop for Black youth.
- Literary Work: During the Great Depression, he was a writer for the Federal Writers’ Project, documenting Black life in Florida. He also wrote a regular column for the Florida Sentinel, a statewide Black newspaper.+1
Background and Military Service
Originally from Baltimore, Diggs was a highly educated professional for his era. He earned his pharmaceutical degree from Temple University and served in the U.S. Army during World War I (1918–1919). For his military merit, he was awarded the Order of St. Sava from Serbia.+1
The Paul A. Diggs Neighborhood
Today, the neighborhood bearing his name is one of Lakeland’s largest, bounded roughly by Memorial Boulevard to the south and North Florida Avenue to the east. It remains a focal point for cultural events, including the city’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade.+1
After more than 30 years in Lakeland, Diggs moved to Daytona Beach in 1958 to serve as the Dean of Men at Bethune-Cookman College, where he remained until his death.