QuoteAccording to noted historian Russ Rymer, much of Jacksonville's history "stays invisible because the prominence resides almost exclusively on the black side of town."
Last month, City Council President Anna Brosche's call for an inventory of local Confederate monuments in preparation of removal from public property set off a passionate local debate.
Much of the discussion in favor of maintaining status quo focused around not erasing the city's past.
But what is too often dismissed is the true history of the city, which was largely African-American and ignored by segregationist leaders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Not many people are aware that Jacksonville's population was mostly African-American for much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and that Downtown's LaVilla played a significant role in the early development of the African-American entertainment industry, including the formation of the blues and jazz.
Incorporated as a city of its own in 1869, LaVilla quickly became a place where a post Civil War exchange of rural and urban ideologies and entertainment practices came together due to:
• Thousands of freedmen arriving in the area for its employment opportunities.
• Protection by federal forces.
• The presence of a progressive black community in the South, which was deeply segregated.
So here are four nationally significant historical figures and associated facts about this district of downtown Jacksonville that have been woefully overlooked over time.
Full editorial: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/columnists/2017-09-26/guest-column-let-s-give-lavilla-s-rich-history-spotlight-it-s-been