Reckoning. That is the word that’s most often applied to this time we’re living in. It began with the confluence of COVID-19 and the racial uprising after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020. Two years later, it continues. As a fiction writer and former television producer, many of my ideas for stories are influenced
For the first time in many years, two serious Democratic candidates are running for Jacksonville mayor. And for backers of one of those candidates, two Democrats in the field was one too many even before a third Democrat, Theresa Ann Richardson, filed for the race last week. Supporters of former newscaster Donna Deegan continue to suggest that Sen. Audrey Gibson launched
After losing the governor’s mansion in 1998 and losing both chambers of the state Legislature a few years prior, Florida Democrats were frustrated. They saw 2012 as an opportunity to reset the playing field. That was the year the state Senate and House would participate in the once-in-a-decade process of redrawing the congressional and legislative maps. The Democrats, understandably, didn’t
With the coffee industry expected to grow annually by 4.32% and proving to be recession-proof throughout the pandemic, Jacksonville has become a coffee-drinking expansion market. Here are seven coffee chains aggressively targeting Jacksonville for expansion. Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Bitty & Beau’s Coffee was founded in 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina, by Amy and Ben Wright. Parents of children born
As a woman it is not enough to demand “my body, my choice.” We have no solid ground on which to stand and make our demand.
From 1970 to 1974, Jacksonville was the headquarters of the first magazine to serve Florida’s gay community. In honor of the last week of Pride Month, here’s a look at the history and impact of David magazine. Jacksonville’s LGBTQ history dates back thousands of years. The native Mocama Timucua people had gender roles for two-spirits — individuals who belong to
When I walked into the new Beauty Depot store on Southside Boulevard for the first time, it was like the heavenly hosts began harmonizing an angelic chorus as I was blinded by the light. It’s the nicest beauty supply store I’ve ever been in. I said as much, out loud, upon entering and standing slack-jawed in front of the door.
To the best of my knowledge, French philosopher Michel Foucault never made it to Duval County. And he likely never opined on whether the Westside truly is the best side or other historic questions of bygone times. But despite never having done Duval, Foucault seemed to understand what made the place tick. His book Discipline and Punish: The Birth of
You never really know when voters are done and ready to move on until, well, they move on. Take the political journey of Donald John Trump. There has never been anyone like him. When he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower to declare his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president, no one in the political class took him
Developers want to lift a ban on self-storage facilities in Downtown Jacksonville, but building such facilities could stifle streets and create dead space.
