[EBONY INTERVIEW]

In 2010, Floridas former lieutenant governor Jennifer Carroll made history as

the first Black and first woman elected
to the position. But two years into her
term, she resigned under a cloud of controversy. Undeterred, the retired naval
officer talks to EBONYs Amy Elisa
Keith about breaking out of the good
old boys club and having the last word.

Speaking
her

Jennifer Carroll is, at first, calm and easygoing,

which is somewhat surprising for a politician who has recently published a very candid book, When You Get There, that
could expose Florida state politics for its notoriously racist
flaws and aid in the ousting of incumbent Gov. Rick Scott in
the November 4 election. But what has she got to be afraid
of? The retired decorated U.S. Navy lieutenant commander
was built for storms like this.
The whistle-blowing autobiography, which became an
Amazon best-seller the first week of release in August,
has given Carroll, 55, an opportunity to share her version
of events that led up to her March 2013 resignation, which
she insists were all part of a plot spearheaded by one of the
governors chiefs of staff, Steve MacNamara, who himself resigned amid controversy. Despite its tell-all nature, her book
is actually much more. It reveals the triumph-over-tragedy

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When You Get There has caused quite a stir in the

Republican Party. Why did you write it?
CARROLL: I wanted the book to encourage people to build
on inner strength and their faith to get them to that next
level. I also wanted to clear up the false accusations levied
upon me while I was in office because I didnt have the
ability then to share my side of the story. In not doing so,
I let the media define who I was. I am fighting back to
stake my claim to the truth.
EBONY:

EBONY: Have you heard from Gov. Rick Scott or Steve MacNamara about these allegations?
CARROLL: If they had empathy or any regret for what they
did, they would reach out. What I found in politics is that
instead of people having a bit of humility or asking for forgiveness, they tend to get more hardened.

Tell-all books can be taboo in politics. Why not simply do a major television interview?
CARROLL: Fifteen minutes of an interview can get lost. The
book is everlasting; its in print, and people can go back to
it. Writing this book was my way of countering the press, to
put the facts out.

The book was released just months before the

Florida gubernatorial election on November 4. Was that
a strategic move?
CARROLL: I am able to shed some light on how this
administration operates. Whether thats the deciding
factor for people to vote or not vote in favor of the current administration is their decision. But at least now
the public knows what goes on behind closed doors.
You also talk about being adopted by your greataunt and great-uncle, Jean and Carl. Why include that
aspect of your story?
CARROLL: Growing up with parents who were not biologically mine was a struggle. I had an identity problem
and often wondered, Who do I belong to? Who do I look
like? Do I favor my father or my mother? Ultimately, I
realized that I was in a much better place with loving
parents who guided me in the right ways.
Later, you wrote that you joined the Navy to gain
freedom. But women were far from liberated in the armed
forces during that time. What was your experience?
CARROLL: When I joined in the late 70s, the field of aviation
maintenance had just opened to women. The senior males
did not want us in their Navy; we heard that constantly. It
was antagonistic at times, and they undermined our work.
Being a womanand often the only Black womanin
a male-dominated environment was very difficult. As I
got higher in rank, I realized that I could speak up. But
unfortunately, we still see sexual harassment in the military even today. I think some men struggle with seeing a
woman advance to their level, then they feel threatened
because youre in their space.
After being elected in 2010, when did you discover
that Gov. Scott and you were not seeing eye to eye?
CARROLL: Originally, the governor and I ran on a ticket of
changing Tallahassee and not having the good old boy status quo be at the decision-making table. But by the time his
third chief of staff, Steve MacNamara, came in six months
after we took office, thats exactly who we put at the table.
The governor was convinced that I shouldnt be in certain
meetings, so I was disinvited.
You were appointed to chair the task force that
reviewed the Stand Your Ground law after the killing of
Trayvon Martin. How did that come about?
CARROLL: The task force took pressure off the governor. He
didnt want to really address it. He appointed the special
prosecutor, Angela Corey, because he felt the rest would
go away. But if the governor had had a relationship with
leaders in the Black community, he could have picked up
the phone to ask their thoughts on how to best handle the
situation. He never did that. And many of the task force
members, particularly the Republican side, didnt have
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EBONY:

EBONY:

EBONY:

ment of Law Enforcements final

report stated that I had no criminal activity with Allied Veterans,
but that never made the press. I
believe the whole scenario was set
up as an opportunity to get me out
of office without directly blaming
the administration.
Also, a former employee
claimed she caught you in a situation with a female travel aide while
in a compromising position. You
then made your infamous remark
about being too pretty to be lesbian. What happened?
CARROLL: That situation never occurred. I think it was purposely
created to be used as a narrative
to get me to go out of office.

EBONY:

EBONY:

Running mates Jennifer Carroll and Rick Scott were all

smiles at a 2010 campaign stop in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The former
lieutenant
governor of
Florida remains
poised and
professional
as she candidly
discusses her
time in office.

EBONY:

I went through a stage of depression,

a stage of anger.

relationships with anybody in our communities, so they

couldnt relate to our issues.
O p e n e r : R i c k W i l s o n /a p ; t h i s pa g e : A n d r e w I n n e r a r i t y/ R e u t e r s / Co r b i s ; o p p o s i t e pa g e : R i c k W i l s o n /a p

story of an adopted girl from Trinidads journey to becoming

a celebrated political fireball.
Today, Carroll is a political analyst for a local television
station in Jacksonville, Fla., and a senior adviser for Global
Digital Solutions, Inc. in West Palm Beach.
The MBA-toting wife of Nolan Carroll and mother of three,
Nolan II, 27; Nyckie, 25; and Necho, 21, balances work and
home with a sense of gratitude few seem to have in the cutthroat world of politics. Although she could lock herself away
in her Fleming Island, Fla., home, cursing the party she has
long supported for abandoning her, Carroll refuses to play
the victim. She tells EBONY about overcoming public disgrace and the power plays she witnessed behind closed doors.

What did the task force find?

The task force members travelled around the
state to give everybody a voice. We consistently heard that
the application of the law was different throughout the
state and depended on the law enforcement department.

EBONY:

CARROLL:

EBONY: In the end, you said that Gov. Scott never came to
your defense. How did that make you feel?
CARROLL: Knowing what I did to get him elected, he didnt
even have the common courtesy to allow both of us to talk
to the press together. I was so hurt and pissed when I heard
his press conference the next day. I could not believe the
level of betrayal and the lack of appreciation for my loyalty.

How did you endure all of this and still come out
on the other end?
CARROLL: I went through a stage of depression, a stage of
withdrawal and a stage of anger. Had it not been for my
firm belief in God, I would not be here talking to you today.
My healing process was writing the book.
EBONY:

You have two sons. Have they experienced racial

profiling by the police?
CARROLL: My older son was stopped several times for
driving while Black. Hes a professional football player
(a cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles), and once his
car was pulled over by a Black cop. My younger son had
an incident in which he was working, distributing flyers
on cars in an upper-middle-class area. Several officers
surrounded him because a White woman had called the
police to say that he was breaking into vehicles. Unfortunately for our men, these situations are real and happen
on a regular basis.
EBONY:

EBONY: Changing course a bit, is there any truth to the allegations that ultimately forced you to resign from office?
You were named in the 2013 racketeering investigation
of Allied Veterans of the World, a charity that operated
a chain of Internet sweepstakes cafes.
CARROLL: Any wrongful activity with Allied Veterans
never occurred. As a matter of fact, the Florida Depart-

EBONY: When someone recognizes your contribution to history as the first Black person and the first woman elected
to be lieutenant governor of Florida, how do you feel?
CARROLL: It makes me feel good, but being first in anything
is not the important part. It is what you do with it to help
other people thats most important.

During the 2012 presidential election, you were one

of the political darlings of the Republican party. Are you
nervous about being alienated?
CARROLL: I love the opportunity that I have because I can
give an assessment on both sides and have the freedom to
speak candidly about Republicans and Democrats. I dont
have any obligation to anybody.
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