Activists calling for School Board to change school names during joint city meeting

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Protestors rallied in front of City Hall before a joint City Council and the Duval County School Board Friday morning.

“It’s sad to me that my family grew up here, and we are still fighting the same fights that my family fought. Back when Douglas Anderson was the only Black high school that Black children on the Southside could go to. It’s sad to me that we are still having these same conversations 2021,” one of the activists said on the steps of Florida.

A little less than 20 minutes into the meeting, and activists started to interrupt the meeting.

“When will you change the names of those schools? Those confederate schools? We demand that they be changed!” Ben Frazier, leader of the Northside Coalition yelled in the meeting.

Chants of “Change the Name,” and “Bring Back EVAC,” followed Frazier’s statement. Council President Tommy Hazouri then had the protestors removed from the audience and the meeting was taken into recess.

Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene says she wants everyone to follow the process.

“We’ve been dealing with the protesting for quite a while. It is just a part of this process. We have to ensure that we remain calm and that we have a cool head so we can ensure that the process can remain true as outlined,” Greene said.

Four schools will start community balloting in two weeks starting on April 26. Five of the schools have already finished the balloting process and is waiting for votes to be counted by the Supervisor of Elections Office and the DCPS canvassing board later in May, when all of the schools have finished the counting process.

Cox Media Group