Bill Posey: “It is, indeed, an honor and a pleasure to recognize the lifetime achievements of Richard K. ``Dick'' Blake, who is…”

“It is, indeed, an honor and a pleasure to recognize the lifetime achievements of Richard K. ``Dick'' Blake, who is retiring after 40 years of service on the Rockledge City Council. He is the longest serving elected official on Florida's east coast and is a true servant heart leader. The grandson of freed slaves, Dick Blake was one of 10 children growing up in Rockledge, Florida. He attended Cocoa's African American Monroe High School, where he became an all-star athlete and model student. After graduating from Florida A&M University, Dick returned to Monroe High School to coach basketball and football and also to teach biology and math. While coaching during the era of segregated education, he gained statewide notoriety as his basketball teams dominated the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association. {time} 1115 In fact, Dick helped pave the way for integration in Brevard County by arranging exhibition basketball games, which helped to foster race relations by bringing children, families, and communities together under the spirit of sports competition. In so doing, he touched the lives of so many talented players and students. In 1966, Dick became the first Black assistant principal at Cocoa High School, and later became the principal, serving in that position for 22 years.…”