Jacksonville City Council Officially Takes Their Place on the Wrong Side of History

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville City Council voted to ignore their community’s plea to remove the Confederate monument in Springfield Park.

The following statement is from SPLC Chief of Staff Lecia Brooks:

“We are disappointed in the Jacksonville City Council’s decision to leave a Confederate statue standing in a public park instead of heeding the will of its community members and the business community. But we are not deterred. In fact, we continue to be encouraged by grassroots groups like the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville and Take Em Down Jax, which have vowed to remain resolute in their fight to remove symbols of the Confederacy from public spaces.

“We also commend the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the Jacksonville Civic Council, and all Jacksonville leaders that joined the movement to remove a living symbol of white supremacy from Springfield Park.

“This issue will not go away. We encourage the Jacksonville City Council to take a courageous stand going forward.

“The SPLC will continue supporting the advocacy efforts of these groups and concerned community members until the mayor’s 2020 promise comes to fruition. Removing the Confederate statue in Springfield Park and all Confederate symbols scattered across the city of Jacksonville from public view is the only choice.”