JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Your choice for Jacksonville’s best public art highlights a grim moment in the city’s history.
The Hope and History Project mural was unveiled in 2018 as part of a program commemorating Ax Handle Saturday, which involved a violent 1960 attack on a group of Black demonstrators during a sit-in at a lunch counter.
RELATED: In 1960, the mayor told one story of Ax Handle Saturday. A photo told the truth.
The mural is located on the Eastside Brotherhood building, which is on A. Philip Randolph Boulevard.
The University of North Florida’s Center For Urban Education and Policy (CUEP) partnered with high school students and received guidance from local artists in producing the mural. More than 25 students from all over Jacksonville were involved.
Dr. Rudy Jamison, the community initiatives coordinator for UNF’s CUEP, told WJCT News in April 2018 that she planned for the mural to be the start of a new conversation about Ax Handle Saturday.
“So not only does it amplify the story of Ax Handle Saturday, I think it is going to bring a lot of attention to the community out east,” Jamison told WJCT. “I think it is going to serve as a central location for community members to convene. I think they will be able to learn about the story even more.”
Visitors will find many other murals in the area -- including local people, ranging from civil rights leaders to business owners.
Runner up: Adele Renault