Jacksonville's City Council president says hate mail over her proposal to remove Confederate statues from public property will not stop her from addressing the issue.
Since Anna Lopez Brosche said she'd like to move the statues, she has been called everything from a racist to anti-Southern.
"I'm staying the course and people should know that I feel safe and protected and we're going to have the conversation as a community,” Brosche said.
Brosche said it’s about a 50/50 split of positive and negative comments. On Monday. the City Council president announced she’d like to move Confederate statues from public places. That includes a statue sitting directly across from her City Hall office. Since then, the public reaction has been swift and at times hateful.
"I don’t take it personally … those comments are a reflection of people’s perspectives and life experiences and opinions and they have a right to express those," Brosche said.
People on both sides have spoken since Brosche’s announcement.
Wells Todd with the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition said the statues, “are reminders of slavery.”
Others who protested Brosche's proposal disagreed.
“They’re not about slavery. They’re memorials to soldiers who died,” protester Seber Newsome III said.
“My Confederate ancestors mean something to me. Their voices are silent now,” protester Marilyn Parrish said.
There are differing views on a history that Brosche said she's not trying to erase.
"We’ve heard for many years about the tale of two cities and quite frankly this is a part of the tale of two cities. This is part of making sure we do reach one city, one Jacksonville," Brosche said.
Brosche said she will keep moving forward with despite whatever emails she may receive.
"This division was not created by me. It’s been in existence … So I’m not going to turn a blind eye over a conversation that we need to be having as a community to decide how we move forward out of fear of what it might do," Brosche said.
Brosche has received hundreds of emails but one stood out to us for its language and the fact that it appeared to be from an influential local educator. It appears to come from the president of Keiser University's Jacksonville campus.
“I was shocked. I was shocked to see that. I’ve since learned that it sounds that the email was hacked,” Brosche said.
Action News Jax reached out to Keiser University and was told the email was not sent by the president and didn't come from any relevant IP address. And they've "been able to determine that the email was sent using a free online 'fake mailer' originating outside of the United States, possibly Czechoslovakia.”
Still Brosche said it’s a message that was sent by someone.
“This sentiment is still out there and so it’s a reflection of the passion that I do believe is over the top and … leads to the question of … pointing out that this is a timely conversation to be having,” Brosche said.
Statement from Keiser University:
"Thank you again for reaching out to us about this disturbing matter. With absolute certainty we can validate that the email in question was not sent by President Winslow, nor was it originated from Keiser University's Information Technology system or any relevant IP address. We've been able to determine that the email was sent using a free online "fake mailer" originating outside of the United States, possibly Czechoslovakia. We are working with the Jacksonville City Council and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to ascertain the facts behind this egregious incident. We commend members of the Jacksonville City Council for immediately recognizing the false nature of this vile message and bringing it to our attention."