JAX Chamber supports review of Confederate monuments

Jacksonville, FL — After Jacksonville's City Council President says she will propose moving Confederate memorials, monuments, and markers off public property, the business community is showing a level of support.

Council President Anna Lopez Brosche has ordered an inventory of all of these Confederate tributes in the City, with the intent to then introduce legislation moving them from City land to educational settings. JAX Chamber Board Chair Darnell Smith says the JAX Chamber supports the inventory, and wants a “thoughtful” look at who is honored in the City.

“We believe in the dignity, goodness and respect of all citizens. We vehemently condemn individuals and groups that promote the despicable acts of prejudice, hate, discrimination, bigotry and racism which have no place in our community,” Smith says.

But Smith says the City should also be looking at who is “missing” from City honors.

“Discussions should include how we heal wounds that may still persist from our past. Among those should be a consideration of how we memorialize our city’s history in public spaces, and will most certainly involve additional tributes to Jacksonville’s historical leaders,” he says.

Smith further says the city needs to look at how to celebrate “our storied past” and write new chapters in the city’s history “with a united purpose”.

The proposal from Brosche comes in large part in response to the violence in Charlottesville. Many on the City Council are not taking a public position at this time, although some have come out on either side. Mayor Lenny Curry says he is waiting to review and take a position if or when the legislation gets to his desk.