JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Starting Tuesday a Jacksonville civil rights organization says you can expect to see more of them.
There is mounting pressure again to take down Confederate monuments in Jacksonville. It's not on the agenda for the city council meeting Tuesday, but it will be the talk of protesters outside.
The city council has failed to pass legislation or a timeline to deal with the monuments despite promises from the mayor two and a half years ago and subsequent efforts by him and others. In June of 2020 a Confederate statute on top of a monument in James Weldon Johnson Park outside city hall was taken down, but the base of the monument reads "Confederate Memorial" and a large Confederate statue remains in Springfield Park.
The city has $500,000 budgeted for "Confederate Monument removal, relocation, remaining or renaming." The budget also lists that a goal is to facilitate community conversation and develop a funding plan by July 2022 for what to do with the remaining monuments. July 2022 was months ago.
"They have kicked the can down the road for far too long," said Ben Frazier, president of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville. "We're all sick of it. Time for us to act. Time for us to move. Time for city council to do the right thing. Stop expressing political cowardice and instead express political courage, integrity."
Frazier points out on Monday, Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy, removed its last public Confederate statue.
The city council has voted down Mayor Lenny Curry's proposed legislation and voted down proposed legislation by Councilmember Matt Carlucci to remove the remaining monuments.
City Council President Terrance Freeman did not respond to First Coast News's requests for an interview. Curry's public relations director says his comment is "he's made his position clear and empowered city council to move forward."
"The city council should do the right thing," Frazier said. "What we need is leadership. What we need is political courage, not political cowardice."
"The city council should do the right thing," Frazier said. "What we need is leadership. What we need is political courage, not political cowardice."
See how Jacksonville's mayoral candidates responded after a banner with a Confederate flag and message was flown over a football game here.