QuoteIn MLK breakfast speech, mayor reflects on Jacksonville's race relations
Peyton says education must be improved to narrow racial inequalities
Posted: January 14, 2011 - 12:10pm
By Deirdre Conner
If political observers were surprised to see Mayor John Peyton giving the keynote speech at this year's Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast, they weren't the only ones.
When organizers of the unity event asked Peyton to speak, he told the crowd of more than 2,000 this morning, he was "surprised and humbled."
Related: Read Peyton's speech from the event
After all, he said, it was John Peyton who voted against Michael Blaylock to be head of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority as a JTA board member, John Peyton who in his mayoral campaign vowed to fire the city's first African-American fire chief, and John Peyton who defeated the city's first black sheriff in the 2003 mayor race.
Some people, he conceded, might ask the breakfast's organizers, "What were you thinking?"
But Isaiah Rumlin, president of the Jacksonville chapter of the NAACP and Richard Danford, president of the Jacksonville Urban League said they wanted to hear how Peyton has changed over the course of his administration.
And Peyton talked, emotionally at times, about the events that he said have altered him, most significantly the shooting death of 8-year-old Dreshawna Davis at the height of the city's murder spike.
"These eight years have clearly been transformative for me," he said.
He called for the city to further invest in education, saying it was the only route to solving the city's inequalities.
For more on this story, check back with jacksonville.com or read Saturday's edition of The Florida Times-Union.
Source: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-01-14/story/mlk-breakfast-speech-mayor-reflects-jacksonvilles-race-relations
I attended the Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast this morning. I am curious to know what insights the Metro Jacksonville gang has about Mayor Peyton's speech - especially if you attended the breakfast. Thanks!
I was there. While I haven't heard that many speeches by him, I thought today's speech was as outstanding as any mayor of Jacksonville could give. I think everyone at my table agreed. The standing ovation for him, given he is a politician, I thought said it all. Inclusive, heartfelt, well delivered, and right on the money: Education, education, education. Needs to be number one if we want to make for a better society. If his entire 8 years revolved around speeches like this, he would surely be a candidate for much higher office (even with the courthouse issue! :D )
As he concluded, I felt like he was initiating a series of "farewells" to the citizens he serves. A number of mayoral candidates were present and I hope they were taking notes of the insightful and well-learned lessons Peyton was passing on. To do so would give them a major leg up on getting into the saddle.
I like Mayor Peyton in this area. He's pretty good with listening and treating people from multiple race, religious, and cultural backgrounds. I talked to a few different ethnic & cultural groups and they feel welcomed and fairly treated when they wrote to the mayors office for various different requests.
He's definitely the opposite of what happened during a certain highly publicized city council meeting a few months ago for a certain appointed position. I hope the new mayor we elect can, at the very least, keep up the cultural relations Peyton has done.
Giving a great speech is wonderful, but let's realize it takes more than that to make an effective leader.
Quote from: vicupstate on January 14, 2011, 06:32:20 PM
Giving a great speech is wonderful, but let's realize it takes more than that to make an effective leader.
I think he's been pretty good - at least when it comes to this area. He's not MLK but when you see what how the people of this city think about various races and the populism movement of various extreme groups in the city, Peyton has done a good job in painting the city as a fair, average, tolerant, and nice place to live and work at for all cultural groups outside of our area to come visit and live here.
I was there today as well...but sadly had to leave before the Mayor finished....I've heard him speak many times in the last 4 years....that is one of his strengths.
Quote from: vicupstateGiving a great speech is wonderful, but let's realize it takes more than that to make an effective leader.
+ 1000
Speeches are powerful tools, and there are many politicians that deliver them quite well. Just keep in mind, someone else writes them, and it doesn't necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those who deliver them.