Gilbert R Mason

Dr. Gilbert R. Mason Sr. (1928–2006) was a physician, civil rights leader, and author in Biloxi, Mississippi. He organized three wade-ins between 1959 and 1963 to desegregate the city’s federally funded public beaches, which were the first nonviolent civil disobedience actions in Mississippi during the 1950s. After the second protest in April 1960, where participants were attacked by white mobs, Mason co-founded the Biloxi NAACP chapter and served as its president for over 30 years, also leading the state NAACP.

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Mason graduated from Tennessee State University and Howard University College of Medicine. He established his medical practice in Biloxi but faced challenges due to segregation. In addition to his civil rights work, he led voter registration drives to combat disenfranchisement of African Americans. Mason published a memoir, *Beaches, Blood, and Ballots*, detailing his activism.

Mason died in 2006 and was posthumously honored with the designation of a section of U.S. Highway 90 as the "Dr. Gilbert Mason Sr. Memorial Highway." Historic markers commemorating the wade-ins were installed in Biloxi, and a Head Start center was named after him. In 2019, the National Science Foundation announced a research vessel in his honor.

Mason’s legacy includes significant contributions to civil rights and community development, recognized through various tributes in Mississippi and beyond.