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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jennifer Carroll is no stranger to being first.
A female Navy officer in the late 1970s and later the first black woman voted to a statewide office, Carroll went on to serve as Lt. Governor of Florida under Rick Scott from 2011 to 2013.
For Women's History Month, Bay News 9 Anchor Rick Elmhorst and Reporter Roy DeJesus speak with Carroll about her groundbreaking past, Florida politics and how she navigated that world.
After immigrating to the US with her parents at the age of 8, Carroll went on to graduate with undergrad and masters' degrees, became a Naval officer and became the first black female Republican elected to the Florida Legislature.
And that was before becoming Lt. Governor.
She ultimately left that post at the request of then Gov. Rick Scott after scrutiny into her public relations work for a charity involved in illegal gambling.
The FDLE concluded she did nothing illegal.
Jennifer Carroll was a Naval officer and became the first black female Republican elected to the Florida Legislature before serving as Florida's Lt. Governor. (Spectrum News image)
She has remained involved in political endeavors, having served as Commissioner of the American Battle Monuments Commission since 2018. Carroll, 61, has no shortage of opinions on the state of politics around the nation and Florida.
On now Sen. Rick Scott asking her to step down as Lt. Gov in 2013: "I felt betrayed. The bottom line was betrayed. And it is a really, really good thing I have my faith and my God and my family. It was uncalled for. Because I expected better of a leader."
On her opinion of America growing up in Trinidad: "We were absolutely fascinated with America. Because we saw in Trinidad, at that time when I was a little girl, America as a land of opportunities. And almost everyone wanted to come to America to experience those opportunities, including my parents who I migrated to this country with."
On her Navy service: "I was one of those first of first. When I became an officer, I was the only black female officer, the only black officer in my command. I was the only person of color at the table with my colleagues. When I looked out, I didn't see anyone reflective of me….I (had) some issues to deal with but through my faith, my family support, through some individuals that saw the issues I was going through, basically encouraged me to stay on."
ABOUT THE SHOW
Spectrum Bay News 9 Anchor Rick Elmhorst sits down with the people that represent you, the people fighting for change, and the people with fascinating stories to ask the hard questions.