A native St. Augustinian— who spent some of her formative years in Newport, Rhode Island— Garris has given much of herself over the years since returning in 1990. Prior to her government service, she created the Women’ s Support Group and spearheaded the“ Feed a Friend” food program. She is also an active board member for Home Again St. Johns and the Rotary Club of St. Augustine, and a past board member for the Betty Griffin Center.
Two years ago, Garris was among more than 50 community residents who traveled to Tallahassee to lobby state lawmakers to select St. Augustine as the site for the state’ s Black History Museum. Along the way, a blown tire on their bus reportedly caused a spark, leading to a fire. After a safe evacuation and securing other transport, she and the others completed their journey, continuing their advocacy for the museum’ s future location in St. Augustine.
As mayor, Garris has identified priorities that include expanding resources for a city-run day center, enhancing community engagement, addressing affordable housing, and improving infrastructure. But before any policy agenda begins, her swearing-in will carry significance of its own.
In St. Augustine, the significance of a Black mayor extends well beyond City Hall— it serves as a capstone in the city’ s Black representation, which had been stymied for more than 70 years after City Marshall Charles“ Bossy” Benet shot Black city councilman John Papino in 1902 during a council meeting and was never held criminally responsible.
“ It was not until the 1970s when Arnett Chase was elected to the City Commission that St. Augustine had its first black elected leader since Reconstruction,” said Nolan.“ Appropriately, one of the things Cynthia Garis did in her first term on the City Commission was to get the
‣ David Nolan city to honor Mr. Chase on the 50th anniversary of his election.”
The nation’ s oldest city has a complex racial history and played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement. Against that backdrop, Garris’ s rise— from city employee to commissioner to the first Black person to serve as mayor— marks a new chapter in the city’ s story.
“ As the first Black mayor of the nation’ s oldest city, her election carries significant historical and cultural meaning,” said Jaime D. Perkins, director of community services for St. Augustine.“ Her election reflects the progress of a community that continues to honor its rich and complex history while looking toward the future.”
When she is sworn in, Garris will not only assume the city’ s highest elected office; she will make
history in a city where the meaning of that history is particularly profound.
“ It is appropriate that the Ancient City, named for a great North African saint, should finally have its first African American mayor long before it celebrates its 500th anniversary,” Nolan said. E
Kevin M. Briscoe is a freelance writer and communications strategist based in St. Johns, Florida. His byline has appeared in more than 250 publications across the U. S., including Forbes, Newsweek and Black Enterprise.
PUBLISHER’ S COMMENT
Though we sometimes miss it or don ' t appreciate it, history is often happening in our midst. A once-in-a-century hurricane, a decadesold sports record broken or the first known occurrence of something. These always catch our attention because we know they are historic. The election of City Commissioner Cynthia Garris as the next mayor of St. Augustine is one of those events that may be underappreciated today but will go down as one of the most historic events in the city’ s history.
Cynthia Garris will become the first Black mayor of St. Augustine, man or woman, in the city’ s 461-year history. That is truly historic! That St. Augustine is the oldest, continuously occupied European-founded settlement in the United States adds another level of significance. Finally, as the selected site of the Florida Museum of Black History, I see this as another affirmation of why the Task Force selected St. Augustine.
So just before we went to print, we changed our cover to what you see now, honoring Mayorelect Garris. As we progressed through our magazine production process, we were guilty of almost missing the historic significance of what was happening around us.
Sometimes history slips by us. This time it didn’ t.
HOWARD M. HOLLEY Publisher
VOLUME III 2026 | 11 |