The Clara White Mission is a memorial to the humanitarian activities of Clara English White (1845-1920), a former slave, and her adopted daughter, Eartha Mary Magdalene White (1876-1974). Clara White was a pioneer member of the Bethel Baptist Church. Her influence was continually felt throughout the community as she devoted her life to helping those less fortunate.

The masonry vernacular building was designed by noted architect Henry John Klutho to serve as a symbol of hope for the needy. Her daughter, Eartha Mary Magdalen White, was also a humanitarian, educator, and publisher. Through her efforts, a prison mission was formed. She founded the Eartha M. M. White Nursing Home, which specialized in caring for the needy, created a senior citizens' home for African-Americans, and a tuberculosis sanitarium for Jacksonville's African American community.

White donated land for the city's first park for African-American children and was twice honored at White House receptions. White served as a lobbyist for African-Americans with the Jacksonville City Commission and the Florida Legislature.

The Clara White Mission moved in 1932 to its current location where it serves as both a museum and a homeless center.

Edited by Cynthia Catellier, University of West Florida Department of Public History.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.