Girl Scout based in Gainesville dedicated bench at school in honor of late judge

The late U.S. District Court Judge Stephan P. Mickle had a bench memorializing his life and legacy dedicated during a ceremony Sunday at Lincoln Middle School in southeast Gainesville.

The memorial bench dedication, attended by more than 50 people from a cross-section of the community, was part of Kristen Cooper’s Girl Scout Gold Project, which is the highest achievement within the organization.

Cooper, 18, is a senior at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School.

The bench memorializes Mickle’s dedication to the Lincoln Estates community where Lincoln Middle School is located. Mickle walked the halls of the school and graduated from Lincoln when it was an all-Black middle and high school before it closed in 1969.

“We’re here to celebrate his legacy and acknowledge the significant impact that Judge Mickle placed in this community,” said AuBroncee Martin, a member Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, of which Mickle was also a member. “This moment is about inspiring generations to come. This was the cornerstone of Mickle’s life which built his character and personality.”

Martin thanked Cooper for honoring Mickle.

“You are a manifestation for what every parent wants from their child,” said Martin, a felony division chief with the 8th Judicial Circuit Public Defender's Office.

Cooper thanked everyone who helped her with the project, including the Lincoln Estates neighborhood, her parents, Lincoln Middle School assistant principal Mickey Ebert and Alachua County Public Schools.

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“Thank you for helping me with the project,” Cooper said. “I wanted to choose someone who meant a lot to Lincoln Estates, and I chose a trailblazer, and I am so thankful. I want to thank the Lincoln Estates neighborhood. Your love pushed me to complete it.”

Described as a man who never sought the limelight, Mickle broke racial barriers throughout his life:

- In 1965, he was the first Black person to earn an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida.

-In 1970, he was the second Black student to earn a UF law degree.

-In 1979, he became the first Black Alachua County judge.

-In 1993, he became the first Black federal judge in the 1st District Court of Appeal.

-In 1998, he became the first Black federal judge in the U.S. District Court of Florida's northern district. He was nominated by then-President Bill Clinton.

His achievements were recognized by UF in 1999 when he became the first Black graduate to receive a distinguished alumnus award.

In October 2020, the UF Levin College of Law hosted a special event that honored Mickle’s life, and a portrait of him was unveiled.

Mickle was raised in southeast Gainesville by his parents, Catherine Mickle and the late Andrew Mickle Sr., both of whom were educators at Lincoln.

Catherine Mickle and Evelyn Mickle, wife of the late judge, were presented with a plaque by Cooper and her mother, Cynthia Cooper.

“I feel so thankful today,” Catherine Mickle said. “She had it in her heart to do this project. Everyone played a hand in the success of Judge Mickle’s life, and I thank you for that.”

Daryl Cooper, Kristen’s father, said he hopes the bench will serve as a constant reminder for students at the school of Mickle’s legacy.

“It is an honor that the life of Judge Stephan P. Mickle is being dedicated to Lincoln Middle School on behalf of the Gold Scout project,” he said. “We hope that it not only preserves his legacy but inspires students to dream big. With hard work, dreams can be attainable.”

Cynthia Cooper said her daughter and fellow Girl Scout Shanaya Brown were the last two girls remaining after their troop started out with 11 to 12 girls.

“They’ve been dedicated and spent 10 years working hard,” she said. “They are the go-getters of the Gateway Council.”

The Girl Scouts of the Gateway Council serve more than 19,000 members across 35 counties in north Florida.

Cynthia Cooper said her daughter and Brown sold 2,700 Girl Scout cookie boxes this year, with funds from the sales going toward the expenses of the bench and school supplies that were donated to Lincoln Middle School, as well as plaques that were given to the Mickle family.

The bench cost $2,500, and her daughter donated 1,000 pencils, 144 folders and 24 backpacks to the school.

“They are going places,” Cynthia Cooper  said. “They work hard and they do any task that is given to them. We appreciate you and thank you for the work you do and being a role model to others. They are constantly pouring and volunteering.”

She also thanked the Mickle family for their time in mentoring her daughter throughout the project.

“I want to thank the family who spent a lot of time mentoring and pouring into Kristen,” she said. “They talked about Mickle, and she learned about his past and what he did. We need to understand that kids can be inspired and move forward to achieve their dreams.”

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Bench unveiled in honor of late Judge Stephan P. Mickle in Gainesville