Moses White

Moses White (March 26, 1915 - March 20, 1984) was an American businessman, civil rights leader, and community advocate for underprivileged communities in Tampa, Florida. He was referred to as the "Mayor of Central Avenue" and a section of Main Street is named for him. Born in 1915 in Alapaha, Georgia, his parents were Tom White and Mary Shepard White. He was the seventh of 11 children. He received an education up to the third grade and later served in the United States Navy. By the 1950s, he owned businesses on Central Avenue and Main Street including the Palm Dinette (Tampa’s first sit-down restaurant for people of color), a rooming house, the Deluxe Cozy Corner, and Club Ryals. Known for its BBQ ribs, fried chicken sandwich and yellow rice, the Deluxe Cozy Corner offered three hotdogs for 25 cents and served the local community and military from MacDill Air Force Base.