Striving for Justice: A Black Sheriff in the Deep South - Hardcover

by Nat Glover (Author)

On a sweltering day in August 1960, in the segregated Deep South city of Jacksonville, Florida, 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 white 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.

Nat's life could have ended that day, but instead, the ordeal reinforced his plans to become a police officer. His belief in a better world could have faded to cynicism, but instead, it took root in his spirit. His desire to overcome the poverty and racism of his youth could have given in to shame, but instead, Nat resolved to dedicate his life to honoring the dignity of all people.

Nat Glover went on to serve in law enforcement for thirty-seven years, became the first Black sheriff in Jacksonville, Florida, and the first Black sheriff in the state of Florida in over a hundred years post-Reconstruction, and chose--again and again--to do the right thing at the right time for the sake of justice, compassion, and truth.

In Striving for Justice, Nat 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 just as he once rose again...against all odds.

Author Biography

Nathaniel Glover was born in 1943 in Jacksonville, Florida, during the time of segregation. At seventeen, he unknowingly headed into an angry white mob, including members of the Ku Klux Klan, which was attacking young black protestors staging a sit-in at a downtown whites-only lunch counter. Known as "Ax Handle Saturday," this harrowing encounter with racism would commit him to his life's path of fighting for justice.

Glover joined the Jacksonville police department in 1966. After rising through the ranks and becoming detective sergeant, he was named Police Officer of the Year four times, each by four different organizations. Glover was then appointed the city's first hostage negotiator. In 1995, Duval County voters elected him the first Black sheriff in Jacksonville, Florida, and the first Black sheriff in Florida in over a hundred years post-Reconstruction. He garnered national recognition for his department's community policing, ban on choke holds, and de-escalation training for officers dealing with mentally challenged individuals. Then-President Bill Clinton and US Attorney General Janet Reno praised his initiatives during a walk-along with Glover on one of his typical neighborhood walks, Jacksonville.

In 2003 Glover ran for mayor of Jacksonville but lost to the Republican candidate John Peyton. Glover proudly served as the twenty-ninth president of his alma mater, Edward Waters University, and was twice nominated for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Male President of the Year award. Edward Waters University's stadium is named the Nathaniel Glover Community Field and Stadium in honor of his service.

Glover has dedicated his life to serving his community and effectively leading meaningful law enforcement and scholastic initiatives in the city of Jacksonville, earning him the "Great Floridian" designation in 2016. He was inducted into the Florida Law Enforcement Officer's Hall of Fame in 2021.

In conjunction with Florida State College at Jacksonville's Foundation, Glover spearheads the drive to fund scholarships for need-based students through the "Where They Will Shine Scholarship Fund."