JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tuesday the Jacksonville City Council approved a measure that will rename Confederate Park to Springfield Park, in addition, they approved a bill to rename Hemming Park to James Weldon Johnson Park.
James Weldon Johnson is a Jacksonville native author, diplomat and lawyer. His accomplishments include writing ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ which was adopted by the NAACP as the “Black National Anthem”.
JUST IN: Jacksonville City Council approved to change name of Hemming Park to James Weldon Johnson.
— Amber Krycka (@AmberANjax) August 12, 2020
According to the legislation on the renaming of Confederate Park, the park in the Springfield neighborhood originally opened in 1907 and was renamed Confederate Park in 1914 about five months after the United Confederate Veterans held a reunion for former Confederate soldiers at the park. The legislation cites the current social circumstances as reason to change the name of the park. The bill summary says there will be minimal fiscal impact for new signs and other related costs.
The other emergency orders filed to rename four different parks and the land formally known at the Jacksonville Landing after veterans failed to be approved as emergencies.
Cox Media Group
