Sounds like the T-U was actively working to cover up the peonage issue.
Yes, at the time, the T-U did cover it up. As the TU editorial board stated this past summer, it basically ignored most news concerning the city's Black neighborhoods and population at the time. I suspect that was the case with most Jim Crow era outlets. I know that doing historical research on Jax's Black community involves tapping into archives of out-of-state papers that covered the area.
Time to rename Flagler college, county, and tear down statues?
I haven't gone there. I think the issue swirling around the Confederacy and the Lost Cause is a completely different than mentioning that Flagler's FEC was built on a different form of slavery after Emancipation and how ownership of a newspaper played a role in what was reported. Personally, I'm not in awe or equate Flagler with building up the Florida East Coast without acknowledging those who really put in the work. So, for the historian in me, it's just about making history true and inclusive, even when its uncomfortable. I think that knowing our full story, no matter what twists and turns it can take, ultimately opens us up for more equitable economic opportunity and placemaking. Learning more about the people who actually built the FEC was pretty eye opening to me because locally, it helped expose the historical connection and importance of sharing the underrepresented story of LaVilla, Brooklyn and Campbell Hill's late 19th century residents. Sharing that story, we were able to successfully get Allen Chapel AME near McCoys Creek designated as a local landmark last year.
