▁the ▁couple ▁became ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁des eg reg ation ▁of ▁schools . ▁Six ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁Brown ▁Dec ision , ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁students ▁were ▁still ▁att ending ▁ra cially ▁separate ▁schools . ▁Instead ▁of ▁comp lying ▁to ▁des eg reg ate ▁the ▁schools , ▁the ▁Pin ell as ▁County ▁Board ▁of ▁Public ▁Inst ruction ▁built ▁new ▁seg reg ated ▁schools ▁that ▁were ▁supposed ▁to ▁rein force ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁" separ ate ▁but ▁equal ". ▁However , ▁the ▁county ▁rejected ▁black ▁applic ants ▁to ▁these ▁new ▁all - white ▁institutions . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁W imb ishes ▁developed ▁a ▁new ▁political ▁approach ▁to ▁school ▁des eg reg ation . ▁Since ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁force ▁the ▁school ▁board ▁the ▁comp ly ▁with ▁the ▁Brown ▁Dec ision , ▁they ▁attempted ▁to ▁first ▁integrate ▁the ▁school ▁board . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁C . ▁B ette ▁W imb ish ▁decided ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁an ▁at - large ▁seat ▁on ▁the ▁Pin ell as ▁County ▁Board ▁of ▁Public ▁Inst ruction . ▁A ▁black ▁candidate ▁had ▁never ▁run ▁for ▁a ▁count yw ide ▁political ▁office ▁in ▁Pin ell as ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁With ▁her ▁degree ▁from ▁Florida ▁A & M ▁and ▁her ▁experience ▁educ ating ▁in ▁the ▁Hills borough ▁County ▁School ▁System , ▁W imb ish ▁was ▁well - qual ified ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁white ▁h eg em ony ▁in ▁politics . ▁Although ▁W imb ish ▁knew ▁she ▁had ▁little ▁chance ▁of ▁winning , ▁she ▁held ▁high ▁hopes ▁of