Jacksonville, Florida
The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve turns 36 tomorrow! Happy Birthday! It was formed by the United States Congress and signed by President Ronald Reagan on Feb. 16, 1988 to “preserve certain wetlands and historic and prehistoric sites in the St. Johns River Valley, Florida.” Read More …
Sallye B. Mathis was one of the first Black women to be elected and serve on our City Council in 1967. Locally, Ms. Mathis is honored by the local NAACP Jacksonville Branch by naming their annual community service award in her honor, as well as Read More …
This song is by Nellie Florence, features Barbecue Bob on guitar and appears on the compilation The Country Girls! 1927-1935 (1964) and on the compilation album Barbecue Bob, Vol. 2 (1928-1929) (1991) by Barbecue Bob. Nellie Florence is an obscure blues vocalist who recorded two songs for Columbia Read More …
Jacksonville’s Abraham Lincoln Lewis was Florida’s first black millionaire after his founding of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company here. The company was founded to provide affordable life and burial insurance to the black community. As well as being a leading contributor to black colleges like Read More …
Learn about the exciting life of Captain James W. Floyd (1861-1940) with speaker Jerry Urso, the Grand Historian of the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida. Captain Floyd was a celebrated hero of the Spanish American War, a business owner, and a civil rights activist from Jacksonville, Florida. Program Read More …
Mary Singleton one of the first black women elected to our City Council in 1967, she is also the first black woman from Jacksonville to be elected and serve in the Florida House of Representatives. Ms. Singleton is honored in so many ways here locally, Read More …
Jacksonville’s Bob Hayes is not only the first to win both a Super Bowl and an Olympic Gold Medal, he is the only person to accomplish both. The “Bullet” won gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in both the 100m and 4x100m relay, setting Read More …
Mayor Donna Deegan announced that the Confederate statues are being removed from Springfield Park today. This memorial was erected during the peak of early 20th century Confederate monument-building, part of a widespread campaign to promote and justify Jim Crow laws in the South and intimidate Read More …
We want everyone coming to the Florida vs. Georgia Football Game and the events all week long to have a safe and fun time while you are here. “The Florida-Georgia football game has been an important tradition for 90 years in our city,” said Mayor Read More …
Rock n’ roll will live on in an old casket factory. The Jacksonville Historical Society is working to renovate a vacant warehouse, which was once the Florida Casket Co., near Veterans VyStar Memorial Arena. The museum will showcase artifacts, posters and other memorabilia that share the long history Read More …
October 1, 1968: The Jacksonville city and Duval County governments merged to form the City of Jacksonville. This is a historic photo of Jacksonville’s first City Council following consolidation. Many of the members are known for their acts of leadership, advocacy, innovation and service
After World War II, the government of the City of Jacksonville began to increase spending to fund new building projects in the boom that occurred after the war. Mayor W. Haydon Burns oversaw the construction of a new city hall, civic auditorium, public library and Read More …
Earlier this evening the LaVilla Heritage Trail and Gateway Committee presented its LaVilla Heritage Trail project to the Downtown Investment Authority. The proposed LaVilla Heritage Trail across the historically Black Jacksonville neighborhood includes 55 notable historic sites, including the Ritz Theatre and Genovar’s Hall, a Read More …
During Downtown Jacksonville Art Walk last night, the Jacksonville Historical Society unveiled the “Bicentennial Bell” to commemorate Jacksonville’s 200th birthday in 2022. The 225lb. bronze bell will be on display at the main branch of the Jacksonville Public Library until a permanent site is secured. Read More …
Is it on your calendar? Join the City of Jacksonville on Saturday, May 20th as James Weldon Johnson Park and Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman host the annual Emancipation Day Celebration. From 4-9pm, enjoy live music, speeches, food, drinks, vendors, and much more. Be sure to visit Read More …
Yellow fever, also known as the “yellow plague” or the “yellow jack,” was one of the most dangerous and dreaded diseases prevalent in Florida during the 1800s. The disease is viral, spread primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but this knowledge was not widely known until the Read More …
The Museum of Science & History, in partnership with the Jax Melanin Market present to you POWER, a dynamic fusion of arts, culture, and history, coinciding with the celebration of Black History Month. This program is part of MOSH’s ongoing effort to connect and engage with Jacksonville’s Read More …
Black History Month celebrations continue on Jacksonville’s Eastside Saturday, with a parade down A Philip Randolph Boulevard at noon, the Melanin Market with over 100 vendors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the HBCU Heritage Classic baseball game at 121 Financial Ballpark at 2 p.m., followed by a showing of Read More …