Abstract

Jacksonville Florida has a long and often sordid history of race relations, stretching from the pre-civil war establishment of Florida as a state, to the present struggles over Black Lives Matter, and debates over the presence of Confederate monuments and dedication. While a few famous icons from the African American community, as well as a few of the more notorious racial confrontations, are well known in local and academic circles, discussions of the depths of the inequality, brutality, and disenfranchisement are often neglected. Local accounts often focus on historical figures who overcame the odds (e.g. James Weldon Johnson), or confrontations that made national news. Less examined is the impact of historical and current discrimination and inequality on black residents. Educating the public about Conferare monuments, or renaming public buildings, bridges and roads named after “city fathers” who were slave owners, openly racist and KKK leaders, as well as on-going structural inequality in the community is virtually non-existent. In this paper, we explore the work of the Race and Injustice in Jacksonville Research Group, a Community-University partnership documenting the social and economic effects of racism and institutional racism. The partners include a diverse collection of faculty and students from the University of North Florida and Local Community Activists addressing racial inequality and race relations. The goals of the Research Group include developing a series of educational and illuminating films, social media outlets, and public presentations to challenge the community to address the long-term impact of the its racial history.

Presenters

Jeffry Will
Professor of Sociology and Director, Northeast Florida Center for Community Initiatives, University of North Florida, Florida, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Community Diversity and Governance

KEYWORDS

Community Partnerships Diversity and Social Action Race Relations

Digital Media

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