Here are the new plans to take down Confederate statues in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There are new plans to take down Confederate statues in Jacksonville.

“Take em down, take em down!” That was the chant Tuesday afternoon before the City Council meeting.

For weeks, Ben Frazier and the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville have been pressing the city to keep good on its promise to take down monuments with Confederate ties.

Tuesday was no different.

PHOTOS: Women of Confederacy monument in Springfield Park

“For the city to move forward, we need to start by removing these Confederate monuments,” Ben Frazier said.

The Mayor’s Office introduced a plan Tuesday to do just that for one of those monuments.

The Mayor’s Office introduced legislation to spend $1.3 million to remove the Women of the Confederacy monument in Springfield Park.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 4

The Women of the Confederacy monument in Springfield Park could be the next statue taken down in Jacksonville for Confederate ties.

The city’s plan is to remove it as carefully as possible and will be “placed in storage allowing for any future plans that may be made for its disposition.”

“This is in fact a step in the right direction,” Frazier said. But not everyone is on board with that plan.

Betty Hodges addressed city council Tuesday saying: “These are pieces of history that are being erased Instead of looking at them negatively we should look at them and see how far we’ve come.”

Several others, including Calvin Hart, said, “I’m opposed to the removal of the women’s monument.”

STORY: Jacksonville businesses, venues, agencies under investigation by the state over ‘vaccine passports

Dozens of neighbors on both sides impassioned by their reasons to keep it up or take it down.

Many believe it’s erasing history while others feel it’s glorifying a very painful part of it.

Debbie Tribble exclaims, “The monument represents the events of slavery such as amputation of limbs, whippings, branding, rapes just to name a few.”

Tuesday was just the introduction of the plan. If approved by city council after a public hearing, the plan to remove it will start immediately.

©2021 Cox Media Group