Striving for Justice by Nat Glover

Author:Nat Glover
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Forefront Books
Published: 2023-08-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10 WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY NEW (WHITE) FRIENDS

It was almost a coronation.

In the book of Genesis, the Bible tells us that Abraham was about to respond to what he believed was direction from God to sacrifice his son on the altar. God then redirected him toward a ram in the bush, which was now the designated sacrifice. This is consistent with my personal belief and philosophy that if you do the right thing for the right reason, as Abraham did by being willing to sacrifice his son, the Lord will bless you with the resources required to accomplish your mission and your destiny. This is how I feel about the introduction to my life of Steve and Gary Pajcic. They are of Croatian descent, which made them rather definitely not Black, but we grew up in adjoining neighborhoods and ended up discovering that we had much in common. They founded the law firm Pajcic & Pajcic in 1974 with the lofty goal of making a difference in their community. Through public service, philanthropic donations, and a commitment to seeking justice for their clients, they certainly have accomplished that.

When I was drafted as a rookie politician into that first campaign for sheriff, Steve and Gary were the answer to my prayers. Steve had served six terms as a prominent Democratic member of the Florida legislature. He ran for governor in 1986, and his brother, Gary, was a big part of that campaign. They had come close, losing to Republican Bob Martinez after Steve’s opponent in the Democratic primary, Jim Smith, defected, breaking a promise to Steve by endorsing Martinez.

Now, for me, they became brothers from another mother, and their investment in the campaign was second to none—and I’m not referring solely to money. Their impeccable organizational skills and stellar reputations within the community attracted the human resources required by a genuine campaign. Among other moves, they brought in the prominent national campaign consulting firm of Shrum, Devine & Donilon, led by noted Democratic powerhouse Bob Shrum. Shrum had worked with presidential candidates George McGovern, Al Gore, Ted Kennedy, and John Kerry, and now his firm was working with and for me. Unbelievable!

Their involvement and commitment to the campaign allowed me to transition emotionally from a campaign primarily intended to make a point about race to a campaign that also focused on fighting crime and binding together all of Jacksonville’s diverse communities. Without Steve and Gary in my life, I would not have accomplished much of what I discuss in this book. Both believed in their souls that Jacksonville was ready to elect a Black sheriff and that I was that person. With Steve working his magic in other ways, Gary chaired my successful 1995 campaign. Gary was the kind of individual who left you with a “we are pals” kind of feeling. He was a star athlete, particularly at Florida State University, where his performance as the football team’s quarterback is the stuff of legend to this day.

As

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