JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Jacksonville lawmakers spoke out Sunday against violence and racial injustice and vowed action during a remote meeting, fewer than 24 hours after disorder erupted downtown.
Members of the Jacksonville City Council and Duval County School Board, Florida Representative Kimberly Daniels and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry spoke during the virtual meeting, conducted by way of the online platform Zoom and organized by City Council member Ju’Coby Pittman.
Violence Saturday night left one police officer hospitalized and left property damage across portions of downtown.
That violence came after a large-scale peaceful protest outside the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office drew an estimated crowd of thousands in a call for reforms to law enforcement and criminal justice.
City Council member Brenda Priestly-Jackson highlighted not only conflicts with police but inadequate education infrastructure and the economic woes of the service sector, a problem made worse by job losses during the coronavirus pandemic.
″[The protesters] are tired of waiting for justice to come by and by,” said Priestly-Jackson, calling on city leaders to “dismantle structural and systemic barriers.”
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry emphasized the peaceful nature of the early protests on Saturday as well as on Sunday morning, attributing the violence to a small subset of rioters.
“I don’t want what happened later to overshadow the best of Jacksonville,” Curry said.
School Board member Darryl Willie discussed the lack of economic opportunities for many black residents, compounded by the isolation and financial stresses for youth during the pandemic.
“I don’t condone the looting and rioting, but at the end of the day, I understand what the root of the emotion comes from,” Willie said.
Councilman Reggie Gaffney said he hoped the city council would provide more opportunities for residents to participate in the democratic process through the Neighborhood Bill of Rights.
Councilman Garrett Dennis blamed city lawmakers for inaction in addressing the concerns of black residents, saying “We are to blame.”
“What we are seeing in this city and country has been festering for years,” Dennis said.
City Council member Joyce Morgan said “enough is enough,” saying her son no longer feels comfortable running alone in his neighborhood, echoing the case of Ahmaud Arbery. Three Georgia men are charged with murder in the death of Arbery, killed while running earlier this year in Brunswick.
“Why should this young man, or any young man, have to fear?” Morgan said.
State Rep. Kimberly Daniels also cited her son’s experience of being arrested on his birthday as an illustration of the frustration faced by many residents.
For Pittman, the events of the weekend highlighted the urgency of bringing the city and its leaders together to build a better future.
“We can no longer stand on the sidelines and look at what’s not right with our community,” Pittman said.