JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville city officials had a few options to consider regarding the confederate monument in Springfield Park.
They may vote 'yes' and have it removed. They can vote against the legislation and keep it in place.
They may also vote for it at a later date.
Demonstrators hope officials would pick the third because there are not enough votes in favor of the monument's removal. Councilman Matt Carlucci is pushing for the third option as well.
His stance did not change. He is still pushing for the statue's removal.
Carlucci's reasoning goes back nearly 20 years ago. Back then, he endorsed Nat Glover, a Black man for mayor. The response was met with racist graffiti on his business sign.
Someone spray-painted "N-word lover" on it. The councilman keeps a polaroid picture of it in his desk as a reminder. Seeing racism up close, to Carlucci, it was a sobering experience. Something he described as awful.
"I went through a real experience going through. Endorsing an icon, a giant in this community," Carlucci explained.
Nat Glover, once ran for mayor, someone Carlucci calls a friend and mentor. The councilman said Glover is the first post-Reconstruction Black man to be elected sheriff in the state of Florida.
To Carlucci, seeing the racist response to his endorsement shaped his views "on a lot of things in Jacksonville." That also includes the removal of the confederate monument in Springfield park.
Carlucci expressed how he wants the city council to set aside voting 'yes' or 'no' to March of 2022. The councilman wants Mayor Lenny Curry to come up with a task force.
Demonstrators have been pushing for the statue to be taken down, since Curry made a commitment to remove every Confederate monument in June 2020.
"If there was something bothering you, but it wasn't bothering me, I would be willing to give that up if that made you feel better about the city," Carlucci explained.