August 2, at the First Wednesday Art Walk, there was a small group protesting City Council President Anna Lopez Brosche’s recent actions to remove Confederate monuments from the city.
Downtown Vision, Inc used that event as an excuse to change the format of First Wednesday Art Walk, one that had been running successfully for nearly 14 years.
All artists, both material and performance, were ordered not to set up in Hemming Park or on the sidewalks outside businesses. They were instructed to set up inside a venue or not to set up at all. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was there to enforce Downtown Vision Inc’s orders.
The end result, intentional or not, was that Hip Hop performance artists and other artists of color were disproportionately removed from September’s First Wednesday Art Walk.
Downtown Vision, Inc claimed the changes were necessary “to ensure a safe event.” This was done even though Downtown Vision, Inc had stated “We aren’t aware of any protests planned this month”
Interesting.
Even more interesting is the fact that in between these two events Avondale held their Inaugural Avondale Art Walk, August 10.
If Avondale’s Art Walk had followed the same rules as Downtown’s First Wednesday At Walk I wouldn’t be writing this article, but they didn’t.
Point of fact though, the two events are run by different organizations. However, both utilize public sidewalks and public streets patrolled by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and any and all required permits are issued by the City of Jacksonville.
The Avondale Art Walk was permitted to utilize city sidewalks which were covered in tents and tables as had previously been the case for the Downtown Art Walk, before the ban.
There were artists, both material and performance, the vast majority of them set up outside. However, there were no Hip Hop Artists and very few artists of color.
Why was Avondale permitted to use public property for their Art Walk when Downtown was not?
Maybe there was more concern of a violent protest at the Downtown Art Walk than at Avondale Art Walk?
Actually the Avondale Art Walk took place just 8 days after the protest. The Downtown Art Walk was a full month after. If there was a true concern for safety at Art Walk. It should have been for the Avondale Art Walk. And, after the Avondale Art Walk took place without incident, there should have been less, if any, concern for safety from protesters at the Downtown Art Walk.
We must also remember, Downtown Vision, Inc had stated “We aren’t aware of any protests planned this month”
The protests were from groups protesting Confederate monuments, either keeping or removing. There are none in or around Avondale.
Actually there are many locations within and around Avondale caught up in the controversy surrounding the Confederacy.
Robert E. Lee High School is just a mile away from where the Avondale Art Walk was held, in the Riverside Avondale Neighborhood.
It was named after Confederate States of America general Robert E. Lee. Another local school, Nathan B. Forrest High School, named after one of Lee’s generals was a point of significant controversy until the Duval County School Board changed the name in 2014. Many would like to do the same with Lee.
The school has been the site of multiple acts of vandalism, most recently, the removal of Lee’s name from the sign and the addition of the word “racist” with spray paint.
The Museum of Southern History is just a mile up the road from Avondale Art Walk. The museum is home to a beautiful collection of historical remnants, including a library. A collection that unfortunately has been sanitized to romanticize a South that never was, while downplaying historical South and slavery’s role within it.
Intentionally or not, the museum operates as the defacto public relations branch of the KKK and other such groups and organizations.
Camp Captain Mooney Cemetery, where the Confederate Flag still flies is just 3.5 miles away. It is owned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Skirmish at Cedar Creek Marker
Is posted just over 3 miles away. It marks the last engagement in the Olustee Campaign. This action saw the largest number of killed and wounded of any one day in Duval County during the Civil War.
It was Placed By Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #1209. This marker is part of the Sons of Confederate Veterans/United Confederate Veterans series.
The original marker was a bronze plaque. Whether part of the ongoing backlash against such monuments or a random theft, it was stolen. It has since been replaced with a PVC replica.
It should also be noted that many of the fancy homes along Richmond Street and throughout Avondale were built with money made during the Jim Crow era, some with money from the Pre Civil War South, in other words, money made from slave labor. I hope you realize the purpose of using money made versus money earned.
As you can see, the Avondale Art Walk has as many, if not more reasons, than the Downtown Art Walk, for those on both sides of the controversy to protest.
So why is one allowed to utilize city sidewalks while the other is forbidden?
Why are performance artists allowed to perform outside at one and not the other?
Why have artists of color been disproportionately excluded from both?
Calls to Downtown Vision, Inc. have not been returned. Nor have calls to the City of Jacksonville, though both have been good to return calls and to answer most questions I have asked in the past.
There is one statistic which might explain the preferential treatment extended to Avondale Art Walk;
Downtown demographics are 62.2% Black, 30.7% White.
Avondale demographics are 89.8% White, 3.1% Black.
This article is the third in a series.
1. The Lyricist Live has been asked to not perform
2. Downtown Vision Inc killed the Art Walk
3. A Tale of Two Art Walks