Will Brown Reporter email
Will Brown is a reporter and photographer focusing on issues related to race and inequality, as well as sports and photography. He originally joined Jacksonville Today as a Report for America corps member. Will previously reported for the Jacksonville Business Journal, The St. Augustine Record, Victoria (Texas) Advocate and the Tallahassee Democrat. His accolades over his nearly 20-year career include photography for the Health News Florida’s national Murrow Award-winning series “Committed: How and Why Children Became the Fastest Growing Group Under Florida’s Baker Act.” Brown is a graduate of Florida A&M University and has a master’s from the University of South Florida. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and soccer. He lives in Clay County with his wife and son.
Featured image for “How to avoid the next school shooting: Duval gets some advice”
Bob Gualtieri is the Pinellas County sheriff. He also served chairman of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, which was created to investigate the shooting spree that killed 17 staff and students in Parkland in February 2018. | Screenshot, Duval County Public Schools
February 21, 2024

How to avoid the next school shooting: Duval gets some advice

Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, chairman of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas commission, said shootings happen most often in places you don’t…

Featured image for “New trolley stop called a ‘game changer’ for Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center”
Old Town Trolley Tours of St. Augustine will add a trolley stop in front of the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center in February 2024. The move was part of a communitywide effort to embrace St. Augustine's Black history. | Old Town Trolley Tours of St. Augustine
February 19, 2024

New trolley stop called a ‘game changer’ for Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center

Old Town Trolley Tours and Attractions will add a stop at the museum to help St. Augustine promote its historic…

Featured image for “Duval wants to consolidate two gifted schools”
Laura Bowes, an executive director in the Duval County Public Schools Division of Schools, explains to parents and stakeholders at R.L. Brown Gifted and Talented Academy that the district's staff plans to recommend that R.V. Daniels Elementary in Grand Park be merged with R.L. Brown at the end of this academic year. She spoke during a meeting Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
February 16, 2024

Duval wants to consolidate two gifted schools

School district staff will recommend consolidating R.V. Daniels Elementary School with R.L. Brown Gifted and Talented Academy.…

Featured image for “PHOTO ESSAY | Like Jax, unbeaten Mandarin soccer team is a blend of cultures”
Mandarin celebrates Jose Moreno's 64th minute goal during a FHSAA Class 7A regional quarterfinal. Mandarin eliminated Orlando Boone 2-1 in a FHSAA Class 7A regional quarterfinal on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Mustangs (18-0-2) advance to host Lake Mary. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
February 14, 2024

PHOTO ESSAY | Like Jax, unbeaten Mandarin soccer team is a blend of cultures

The unbeaten Mandarin High Mustangs have players from three continents who speak 10 different languages.…

Featured image for “Flag football booming as Jaguars invest in girls sports”
Courtney Brown is a senior flag football player at Stanton College Prep who was named 'most athletic' by her peers in the senior class. She plays flag football and soccer for the Blue Devils. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
February 9, 2024

Flag football booming as Jaguars invest in girls sports

Every public high school in Duval County fields a flag football team, and Florida is one of seven states with…

Featured image for “Duval parents groups file no objections to textbooks”
The Duval County Public Schools administration building, with a bronze statue of children reading in front of it. | Claire Heddles, Jacksonville Today
February 5, 2024

Duval parents groups file no objections to textbooks

Moms for Liberty and the Public School Defenders both reviewed science and social studies textbooks approved by Duval County Public…

Featured image for “#AskJAXTDY | Does it matter that an FDOT secretary doesn’t attend JTA meetings?”
A JTA electric bus.
February 2, 2024

#AskJAXTDY | Does it matter that an FDOT secretary doesn’t attend JTA meetings?

An FDOT secretary sits on the JTA board but has not attended JTA meetings since 2018. A Jacksonville Today reader…

Featured image for “DeSantis is sending Florida State Guard to southern border”
Gov. Ron DeSantis announces the Florida State Guard will be deployed to the U,S, border with Mexico during an appearance in Jacksonville on Feb. 1, 2024. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
February 1, 2024

DeSantis is sending Florida State Guard to southern border

In an appearance in Jacksonville, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state will send the Florida State Guard to Texas to…

Featured image for “Graduation rates hit record highs across First Coast”
The late Mary Ella Sams, left, helps Akira Roberson put on her graduation gown on May 23, 2023. Roberson was among 7.052 Duval County Public Schools students who graduated in the 2022-23 academic year. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
January 24, 2024

Graduation rates hit record highs across First Coast

In Duval County, 87.2% of students graduated in the 2022-23 academic year, the highest percentage in a nonpandemic year.…

Featured image for “Fort Mose begins reconstruction of 18th century community”
Fort Mose State Park is the site of the first free African community in what is now the United States. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
January 19, 2024

Fort Mose begins reconstruction of 18th century community

More than 100 people gathered Friday to break ground on a reconstruction of Fort Mose, the first free African settlement…

Featured image for “Spring Park and Englewood communities seek clarity on school renovations”
Englewood Elementary Principal Hope Tepper speaks with parents during a working group meeting Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, inside the media center at Spring Park Elementary. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
January 17, 2024

Spring Park and Englewood communities seek clarity on school renovations

Some parents remain concerned about the size of the rebuilt Englewood and Spring Park elementary schools as well as who…

Featured image for “‘Tomorrow’s Leaders’ highlight reunited MLK breakfast”
Emerly Reed won the Tomorrow's Leaders middle school essay contest. Kemal Gasper, vice president of community engagement for VyStar Credit Union, presented Emerly with a trophy for winning the competition during the 37th annual Martin Luther King breakfast at the Prime Osborn Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
January 12, 2024

‘Tomorrow’s Leaders’ highlight reunited MLK breakfast

Three Jacksonville girls shared their belief that the power of words can evoke peace during the 37th Annual Martin Luther…

Featured image for “Dollar General, site of race-motivated mass shooting, will reopen Friday”
A memorial to Anolt (AJ) Laguerre Jr. stands in front of the Dollar General on Kings Road in Jacksonville's Grand Park community. Laguerre, 19, was one of three people killed by a white supremacist in August 2023. He was an employee at the store. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
January 11, 2024

Dollar General, site of race-motivated mass shooting, will reopen Friday

On Friday, the same morning when Jacksonville leaders will celebrate unity with their Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Downtown, the…

Featured image for “St. Augustine and Amelia Island vie for state’s Black history museum”
St. Johns County leaders have identified a West Augustine site, near the former location of Florida Memorial College, as a potential home for a Florida Museum of Black History. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
January 10, 2024

St. Augustine and Amelia Island vie for state’s Black history museum

An eight-member task force will meet Friday as it seeks to select a location for the Florida Museum of Black…

Featured image for “Public gets a chance to review proposed Duval textbooks”
January 9, 2024

Public gets a chance to review proposed Duval textbooks

The School Board voted to buy new social studies and science textbooks, starting a 30-day review period for parents and…

Featured image for “Soccer programs kick off season of giving in Holiday Cup”
Nease midfielder Austin Mills is introduced prior to the 2023 Holiday Cup. Nease High School hosted the third annual Holiday Cup, a four-team doubleheader aimed at raising dollars and donations for charities in Northeast Florida. (Will Borwn, Official Florida FC
December 28, 2023

Soccer programs kick off season of giving in Holiday Cup

The Nease, Creekside, Mandarin and Bishop Kenny soccer teams raised more than $2,500 in this year’s Holiday Cup for Ronald…

Featured image for “Confederate monument removed, but debate persists”
The statue of a mother and child honoring "The Women of our Southland 1861-1865" hangs from a crane Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, after its removal from a monument in Springfield Park. | Dan Scanlan, WJCT News 89.9
December 27, 2023

Confederate monument removed, but debate persists

In an interview with Jacksonville Today, Mayor Donna Deegan said she hopes the monument’s removal is just one step in…

Featured image for “PHOTO ESSAY | Jacksonville 2023 in 23 images”
The Jaguars overcame a 27-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 31-30 in the AFC wild card playoffs on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
December 21, 2023

PHOTO ESSAY | Jacksonville 2023 in 23 images

Jacksonville Today reporter Will Brown shares 23 of his favorite images from 2023.…

Featured image for “Jacksonville civil rights patriarch Lloyd Pearson dies at 102”
Jacksonville civil rights icon Lloyd Pearson reflected on his 102 years during a December 6, 2023 conversation with Jacksonville Today.
December 18, 2023

Jacksonville civil rights patriarch Lloyd Pearson dies at 102

Lloyd Pearson Jr., the grand old man of Jacksonville’s civil rights struggle, died Sunday afternoon. He was 102.…

Featured image for “Housing planned alongside Rosa Parks Transit Station in Downtown Jax”
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority board is discussing a mixed-use development next to the Rosa Parks Skyway station. | Jacksonville Transportation Authority
December 14, 2023

Housing planned alongside Rosa Parks Transit Station in Downtown Jax

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is discussing a development combining housing, retail and a grocery store.…

Featured image for “New grades set baseline for schools; St. Johns ranks 2nd in Florida”
December 13, 2023

New grades set baseline for schools; St. Johns ranks 2nd in Florida

Though the two scores are not apples-to-apples comparisons, all five Northeast Florida school districts earned the same grade they had…

Featured image for “New soccer club reveals its crest and name: Sporting Jax”
Ricky Caplan, Becky Burleigh, Fred Taylor and Tim Tebow are part of the group that aims to bring women's and men's professional soccer to Northeast Florida. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
December 12, 2023

New soccer club reveals its crest and name: Sporting Jax

Sporting Club Jacksonville is preparing to play in the United Soccer League later this decade. The location of its stadium…

Featured image for “Teamsters rally in Jacksonville in negotiations with Anheuser-Busch”
Sean O'Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, addresses members outside an Anheuser-Busch facility in Jacksonville. More than 400 Teamsters work at the Jacksonville brewery. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
December 8, 2023

Teamsters rally in Jacksonville in negotiations with Anheuser-Busch

More than 100 people attended a Teamsters rally organized ahead of the union’s negotiations with Anheuser-Busch InBev.…

Featured image for “Families in Dollar General massacre sue retailer and shooter’s parents”
Quan Laguerre, left, and Anolt Laguerre Sr. shared how Dollar General shooting victim Anolt "A.J." Laguerre Jr. was an optimistic and quiet young man who enjoyed video games. Laguerre, 19, was one of three people killed in the Dollar General massacre in Jacksonville's Grand Park neighborhood on Aug. 26, 2023. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
December 5, 2023

Families in Dollar General massacre sue retailer and shooter’s parents

Dollar General failed to provide adequate security to protect the public and customers in Jacksonville, the suit alleges.…