Decades After KKK Threats, Family Pushes to Honor Trailblazer Leroy Johnson

Larry Johnson works to ensure his father's legacy is recognized in Ocala, Florida, where his story began.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Larry Johnson is working to ensure the legacy of his father, the late Rev. Leroy Johnson, is recognized in Ocala, Florida, where his story began. Leroy Johnson was a father, husband, minister, civil rights advocate, philanthropist, and businessman who faced threats from the Ku Klux Klan due to his efforts to uplift the Black community.

Why it matters

This story highlights the ongoing struggle to recognize the contributions of Black trailblazers who faced discrimination and violence while working to improve their communities. Leroy Johnson's story serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by civil rights pioneers, and the importance of preserving their legacies.

The details

Leroy Johnson was inspired by a childhood trip to Harlem, New York, which exposed him to Black entrepreneurs and prosperity. This ambition made him a target, as the Ku Klux Klan threatened him and his family, including attempting to firebomb his Gates Gas Station. Despite the threats, Leroy Johnson used his business knowledge to support other Black entrepreneurs and provide essential resources to the Black community, such as free gas and kerosene.

  • In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Leroy Johnson took a trip to Harlem, New York, which inspired his ambitions.
  • In the early 1960s, Leroy Johnson became one of the first Black Marion County sheriff's deputies.
  • In 1974, the Ku Klux Klan attempted to firebomb Leroy Johnson's Gates Gas Station.
  • Last year, Larry Johnson proposed renaming a portion of Southwest 12th Avenue as Leroy Johnson Boulevard, but it did not receive enough votes.
  • Larry Johnson plans to bring the proposal back to the City Council next month.

The players

Leroy Johnson

Leroy Johnson was a father, husband, minister, civil rights advocate, philanthropist, and businessman during a time when society imposed strict limitations on Black men.

Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson is Leroy Johnson's son and is working to ensure his father's legacy is recognized in Ocala, Florida.

Doug Willis

Sheriff Doug Willis gave Leroy Johnson his sheriff's deputy badge, making him one of the first Black Marion County sheriff's deputies.

Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan threatened Leroy Johnson and his family, including attempting to firebomb his Gates Gas Station.

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What they’re saying

“This one here is the KKK across the street from my parents' house. They were yelling obscenities at my father, telling him to shut the gas station down. 'We're going to kill you. We're going to burn your house down.'”

— Larry Johnson

“Because of what my father was doing and what he was accomplishing. He was trying to help out the Black people to come up, and that's what they didn't want.”

— Larry Johnson

“When he showed up to the station, either one of his tires would be flat, or the windows would be broken. They wouldn't let him drive the car home.”

— Larry Johnson

“The Klan came with cocktail bottles to set the gas station on fire. That was the truck he shot at with his sheriff revolver that he had from the sheriff's department.”

— Larry Johnson

“If people didn't have money for gas, my dad let them get free gas. If they couldn't afford kerosene in the winter, he gave that, too.”

— Larry Johnson

What’s next

Larry Johnson plans to bring the proposal to rename a portion of Southwest 12th Avenue as Leroy Johnson Boulevard back to the City Council next month.

The takeaway

This story highlights the ongoing struggle to recognize the contributions of Black trailblazers like Leroy Johnson, who faced discrimination and violence while working to uplift their communities. Preserving the legacies of these civil rights pioneers is crucial to understanding and honoring the sacrifices made in the fight for equality.