Justice Served

Industrialist and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler built the Hotel Ponce de León in 1888, the first of many opulent resorts he would place along Florida’s east coast. The enormous main building, now the signature structure of the Flagler College campus, is considered a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture. A resort developed for the nation’s wealthiest travelers when opened, the Ponce featured running water, an electric power plant designed by Thomas Edison and nearly 100 stained glass windows crafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Today, Flagler College is a private institution for higher learning but the St. Augustine landmark does open its doors for visitors and gawkers. In fact, guided tours are led by Flagler students, departing daily from the grand Rotunda. Tickets ($17) are available for purchase online. Tours are offered Sunday through Saturday, however, due to limited capacity, it is suggested that tickets be purchased in advance. u

On a hot day in August 1960, in the segregated city of Jacksonville, a seventeen-year-old Black boy finished his dishwashing job at Morrison’s Cafeteria, walked out the back door, and found himself in the middle of a nightmare. Hundreds of men with ax handles and baseball bats were attacking Black sit-in protestors in Hemming Park. Suddenly surrounded, the young man endured menacing blows and racist taunts. He called for help from a white police officer standing nearby, but no help came. And he felt an unwarranted shame he determined never to feel again. His name was Nat Glover. This incident and many other formative stories are told in Striving for Justice: A Black Sheriff in the Deep South (Forefront Books, $14), a 256-page memoir penned by the former top cop in Jax. In the book, set for release in June, Glover recounts his history-making years in police reformation, the values that fuel him as a leader and American citizen, and what he believes will move this country forward toward hope and healing. u