The city of Jacksonville will create an African American Advisory Board where residents will share information and perspective with Mayor Donna Deegan.

It’s similar to boards that previous mayors have created to engage with Jacksonville’s burgeoning Hispanic community, the status of women and Asian Americans.

“We must know where we come from to know where we’re going,” Deegan said. “Jacksonville would not be the city it is today without the substantial impact and contributions of our Black neighbors.”

The council will report to Deegan but also keep City Council apprised of its work.

When Deegan announced the board’s formation Tuesday afternoon at City Hall, Council Member Rahman Johnson yelped his immediate approval and council member Ju’Coby Pittman immediately gave the idea a standing ovation.

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Council President Ron Salem prefaced his remarks with the mention of his meeting with Iona King and Donal Godfrey earlier this month. Salem connected with King and Godfrey after hearing on WJCT Public Media’s First Coast Connect about how their Murray Hill home was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1964.

Salem said collective dedication is required if everyone in Jacksonville is to thrive and succeed.

“During this month, and beyond, let us not only celebrate the rich tapestry of our Black history, but also commit ourselves to creating a future where diversity is embraced, equality is upheld and justice prevails,” Salem said.

Jacksonville Urban League CEO Richard Danford said he believes the board will help in two ways: It will give the African American community a sense that things will change, and it will serve as a pathway to give a voice to the voiceless.

“I know that there are other advisory commissions, but this should fit nicely along with those,” Danford said. “And we can wrap our arms around it and figure out how we can resolve some of the issues that we have in his community, for the betterment of the entire city.”

Tuesday’s event was highlighted by a pair of performances from local Black artists.

Light The Way TPA, an Arlington-based performing arts company that infuses dance and theater programs with after-school learning programs, performed an African-inspired dance inside the atrium at City Hall.

Later, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts senior Niveah Glover shared her poem Pan African Sky. Glover, who lives on 45^th and Moncrief, has her sights on attending Howard, Brown or New York University next year.

“A city with that level of young talent can only have a bright future provided we all work together,” Parvez Ahmed, Jacksonville’s chief of diversity and inclusion, said after Glover received a standing ovation.

Deegan will appoint the 11 people on the advisory board. Her administration expects people to be named to the panel later in the spring.

Lead image: Mayor Donna Deegan presents 904Ward Director of Equity Regina Newkirk Rucci a resolution celebrating Black History Month. Deegan announced the creation of an African American Advisory Board on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at City Hall. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today