St. Augustine — Black History Month acknowledges the historical achievements of African Americans. Born and bred from Negro History Week, the annual event was launched in 1915 by historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson as a way to honor the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history. The month of February was chosen to coincide with celebrating the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
While we honor many, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., steadfastly remains one of the most significant figures in American history. The Baptist minister, scholar, civil-rights activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner played a pivotal role in the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In 1968, on April 4, King was assassinated while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. A life was severed as a legacy was born.
While King’s impact on race relations in the United States is well documented, little is known about the integral role St. Augustine played in the Civil Rights Movement and the signing of the Civil Rights Act. The St. Augustine Movement, led by Dr. Robert B. Hayling, is recognized as one of the many sparks that ignited the signing of the Civil Rights Act. Hayling’s achievements - accomplished at great personal expense - are forever woven in St. Augustine’s rich tapestry of history.
WOVK sought out the assistance of David Nolan, a local historian, author, and friend of Hayling to learn about the man who worked closely with Reverend King to change the course of American history.
Nolan arrived in St. Augustine more than 50 years ago. Once settled and ready to find out everything he could about the part America’s oldest city played in the Civil Rights era, he was surprised to discover little documentation about St. Augustine’s chapter in the Civil Rights Movement. This very important time frame in American history had been, as he said, “swept completely underneath the rug.”
He quickly sought the assistance of Hayling, the local dentist hailed as the father of St. Augustine’s Civil Rights Movement. Hayling had worked closely with King and local activists to end the ancient city’s rabid segregation laws. But Hayling had long departed from Lincolnville, St. Augustine’s predominately black neighborhood located west of the railroad. Not only were there repeated attempts on his life, the violence ensued by the Klu Klux Klan and white segregationists had completely destroyed Hayling’s dental practice.
Aware that Hayling returned often, Nolan patiently waited. The wait lasted more than 15 years. When they finally met, Nolan learned that Hayling secretly visited his former home because as he said, “the same people who wanted me dead back then are still here.”
Nolan and Hayling remained good friends until Hayling’s passing in 2015. To this day, Nolan remembers his friend with reverence.
Click on the link below to hear the complete podcast interview with historian David Nolan.
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