Jacksonville Magazine uses a tagline of “Presenting the very best of Northeast Florida for 33 years “ I believe it’s closer to 34. Regardless there are many in the local African American Community who are not happy with Jacksonville Magazine.
The Community is specifically unhappy with them continuing a long standing history, say 33 or 34 years, of ignoring Black History Month and excluding all but a select few people of color from their publication the rest of the time.
The Community understands that it’s their (Jacksonville Magazine) magazine and they can do as they please but feel if they are going to use the city’s name and claim to present the very best it has to offer they should include people of color. Many of our best people, events, music, and art come from the African American and other communities of color.
That should be evident to Jacksonville Magazine, especially in a city where 30.6% of the population is Black, 7.3% Hispanic, 4.3% Asian and 2.5% Mixed.
Their February issue has approximately 100 pages and they wouldn’t even devote one page, 1% of their publication, to highlight the African American Community during the month the Federal Government sets aside to celebrate Black History. Not one page for our fellow citizens who make up more than 30% of our city’s population.
In fairness to Jacksonville Magazine a keyword search of their February issue using “Black History Month” does turn up 2 results.
1. On page 26 there is a paragraph devoted to Hemming Park’s Black History event.
2. On page 30-31 there is an article by Kerry Speckman about a documentary, “Jacksonville Who?” which tells the story of Jacksonville University‘s 1969-1970 basketball team that made it to the Final Round of the NCAA Championship. Both the article and the documentary are great, but the only mention of Black History Month is the fact that the documentary will debut on the NBA Network on Feb. 20 as part of the NBA’s celebration of Black History Month.
However the African American Community expects, and rightfully so, more than a passing reference during the month that is supposed to be a celebration of their history.
Accordingly, Jacksonville Magazine is catching flak throughout social media for their February issue and it’s exclusion of the African American Community during Black History Month.
I contacted them for comment but thus far they have not replied. This has been the story for the majority of those who have posted or otherwise commented, Jacksonville Magazine has ignored them just as they have ignored Jacksonville’s Communities of Color.
I have included a sampling of comments from those chastising Jacksonville Magazine;
(An open letter)
Dear Jacksonville Magazine:
I have enjoyed reading your magazines over the years. Although my commentary may come unrequested, I feel Jacksonville is a far more diverse city than has been represented in your 34 year-old magazine.
I opened this month’s magazine to find no man or woman of color on the cover. Not that I was expecting anything nor am I even discounting the empowered women in this month’s issue; it would have been a real treat to read about black women in the “2018 Women Empowered” section. I’m certain I can count on more than one hand, the many black women of color in our amazing city.
I’m a firm believer that racial identity is a social construct and can easily depend on varying borders, however there was no attempt at representation or even highlights of any African American business owners, change-makers or artists AND there were no highlights of a great story by any of our black women and men in this month’s issue. My observation is there seems to be an overt exclusion of black people in almost all of your issues. Isn’t February Black History Month?
Has there been any discussion to highlight more people of color in any upcoming issues?
~Damien L.
So many things to say about this. I literally almost wrote this verbatim as my musing this morning. I saw this on Jacksonville Magazine’s IG page and was supremely disappointed. It made me think of my own awesome experience of sharing the cover but how easily I almost would not have made it in there had someone not suggested me. While I’m sensitive to that often being the case that is also the problem. A lack of people in the room who even know such women in our community exist and that they should be promoted. How hard is it to showcase black women during February? Not as if they should only wait until then but it seems 365 they are also ignored. Which is disheartening. This cover could have been as influential if someone else was the model. I hope they will move forward with this awareness. I don’t enjoy calling out the obvious but there you have it. Do better!
~Shawana B.
Jacksonville Magazine We thank you for the contribution to our city but the African American community makes up a grand portion of Jacksonville and while this is Black History Month I’d like to share there is so many elite and profoundly talented artist that could & should be recognized. Just my two-cents. Don’t mind me though, I’m just one of many business owners here in the city. Carry on…
~Chastity A.
This is deliberate and systematic, there is no need for the cyclic, maybe the ownership needs dialogue regarding inclusion and ethnic diversity response. I’ve said for many years, that true diversity, is the equitable distribution of justice,power, capital, and access. We will never expect oppressive structures to alter their course, but we won’t accept them as legitimate culture institutions either. They may try to address your post, with theatrical token inclusion in future issues, but will never include us, in the power dynamics with proprietorship shares of their magazine. This is the municipal modus operandi of Jacksonville, and all the circular deflection Liberal narratives, won’t change that, as we all know brother. Grace.
~Ulysses P.
Imagine that. A magazine about a city that it fails to represent. ~Shana V.
The only thing black in this months Jacksonville Magazine is the black and white cover. ~David A.
(To Damien L) Well written. I recently wrote to them and Resident about their exclusion of people of color. This kind of tracking matters and making it known matters even more. Every panel discussion, board meeting, cultural event and publication needs to be called into the importance of representation. Thank you, but you should not have to carry this. ~Hope M.
Joe White Editor-in-Chief, seriously! Joe White is the editor, dude can’t help his name but that just shows you how white Jacksonville Magazine is, editor is Joe White! That’s funny but the exclusion of people of color is not funny. Not funny, Joe! ~ Joe Black (couldn’t help myself)