JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, along with the Jacksonville Historical Society and Airstream Ventures, on Thursday afternoon laid out the plans for the city’s bicentennial celebration.
The celebration is scheduled for June 11. Much of it will take place downtown throughout the day and will include a large bicentennial program in James Weldon Johnson Park. It will all be free and open to the public.
Historical figures, so to speak, were there during the announcement. There was someone dressed as Henrietta Dozier — an artist who often changed her name.
And we also bumped in to William Duval, a former Florida governor who Duval County is named after.
2022 marks 200 years since Jacksonville came into existence. The city was founded in 1822, and one of the things the Historical Society is struggling to find is whether Jacksonville did much of a celebration 100 years ago for its centennial in 1922.
SLIDESHOW | Celebrating Jacksonville’s bicentennial: Here are documents from 1822
Curry told News4JAX that they’ll do much better for the city’s 200th birthday.
“200 years, I think the Historical Society has got a great story to tell. I hope they can find something on what they did one the 100-year mark,” the mayor said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
The city will spend the next couple months celebrating its heritage. At Thursday’s announcement at City Hall, Curry and the Historical Society answered questions about the city’s plans. One person who asked a question was Jacksonville City Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman. She asked about the plans to celebrate African American history in the city, and organizers said that will be a big part of the celebration for the next few months.
“With the city celebrating 200 years, it’s really important that we celebrate the African American history that we have here as well and to be part of the process,” Pittman said. “When you think about the churches and LaVilla and Hollywood of the South that we want to make sure that the communities are addressed and celebrated as well.”
Our team is planning stories of Jacksonville’s 200 years to share with you over the next two months on Channel 4 and on News4JAX.com. Be on the lookout for our coverage of this special celebration for our city.