▁time , ▁local ▁business ▁leaders ▁and ▁the ▁St ▁Petersburg ▁Times ▁realized ▁that ▁a ▁massive ▁resistance ▁movement ▁against ▁des eg reg ation ▁would ▁je op ard ize ▁Pin ell as ▁County ' s ▁drawing ▁power ▁as ▁a ▁popular ▁tour ist ▁destination . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁their ▁political ▁efforts ▁to ▁end ▁disc rim ination , ▁the ▁W imb ishes ▁opened ▁their ▁home ▁on ▁ 1 5 th ▁Avenue ▁S ▁to ▁visit ing ▁black ▁athlet es ▁and ▁entertain ers ▁that ▁could ▁not ▁get ▁hotel ▁rooms ▁due ▁to ▁seg reg ation ▁laws . ▁Over ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁family ▁hous ed ▁famous ▁people ▁including ▁mus icians ▁such ▁as ▁Lion el ▁Ham pton , ▁Cab ▁Call ow ay ▁and ▁D iz zy ▁G illes pie ▁and ▁athlet es ▁J esse ▁O w ens , ▁El ston ▁Howard ▁and ▁Al the a ▁Gib son . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁her ▁husband ▁told ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Yan ke es ▁and ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Card inals ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁no ▁longer ▁find ▁separate ▁housing ▁for ▁black ▁players . ▁The ▁Yan ke es ▁moved ▁the ▁team ▁to ▁Fort ▁La ud erd ale ▁without ▁a ▁f uss . ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁loc als ▁respond ed ▁by ▁burning ▁a ▁cross ▁in ▁the ▁W imb ishes ▁yard , ▁in ▁attempts ▁to ▁" send ▁a ▁message " ▁to ▁B ette ▁and ▁her ▁husband . ▁The ▁W imb ish ▁family ▁also ▁hous ed ▁the ▁Fre edom ▁R iders ▁during