JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nearly a month after the racially motivated shooting at Dollar General, two local groups are coming together to ask city council to address racism issues in Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) and Florida for All are hoping to make this happen by asking residents to sign a petition.
The specific issues they want the city council to tackle are:
- Create an anti-racism task force assigned with addressing the causes of the white supremacist shooting and solving the underlying issues with white supremacy in Jacksonville
- Pass a “People’s Budget,” which prioritizes addressing inequities in the New Town area and the Black community of Jacksonville
- Pass a Public Safety Committee to allow the community a seat at the table in reviewing proactive public safety strategies to protect vulnerable communities
Ervin Johnson, who is a Jacksonville resident, said creating a petition like this is something that would be helpful.
“We need resources that can help somebody, a system pulling themselves up,” Johnson said. “It works out for the betterment of everybody.”
State Representative Angie Nixon, executive director for Florida for All, said that now is the perfect time to create this petition because it moves the city into action and change mode.
“We deserve to have a community where we can live healthy, prosperous and safe,” Nixon said. “And unfortunately, that has not been the case here, and so as a community organizer I’m trying to organize the community to demand what we deserve.”
Michael Sampson, the executive director for JCAC, echoed that sentiment.
He said the Dollar General shooting deserved the same action from city council, as they gave the hate symbol that was projected across buildings.
“I think in the same sense that there was emergency legislation to address anti-Semitic Nazi symbol, there should be emergency legislation to addressing what happened here,” Sampson said.
Florida for All and JCAC plan to be at the next city council meeting on Sept. 26 at 3 p.m.