Civil Rights History: Remembering the Monson Motor Lodge Protest 60 years later

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Today, city leaders will honor a pivotal moment in American history that happened right in St. Augustine.

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In 1964, African American civil rights activists jumped into the Monson Motor Lodge pool in protest of the refusal to serve Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others lunch. The owner notoriously poured acid in the pool after the activists jumped in.

Last year, on the 59th anniversary, Action News Jax talked to the daughter of one of the women who made history.

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When the Monson Motor Lodge owner poured the acid in the pool, it missed Cheryl Jones’ mother’s hair by inches.

“Because she was a brown woman, you know you could have guests here, you could stay here, but you can’t use the facilities. They can’t swim. They can’t be in the diner,” said Jones. “[The acid] was splashing on her, so you know, she got chemical burns.”

Nonetheless, Jones said she will continue to remember her mother, who has since passed, and her courageous act that ultimately led to desegregation across Florida and the South.

“I’m very proud of her legacy because she was a trooper in that moment,” she said.

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During the Civil Rights Movement, Americans all over the nation watched news clips of police chasing Black students along segregated beaches and a hotel owner pouring acid into a pool once they were inside.

The Monson Motor Lodge was demolished in 2003. It’s now the Bayfront Hilton.

To mark the 60th anniversary, the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society will hold an event at the Bayfront Hilton. It starts at noon and is free and open to the public.

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