JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A push to change the name of a Springfield street to honor the late civil rights activist Ben Frazier will be discussed during a public hearing at Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting.
Frazier died in 2023 at 73 years old after a nine-month battle with cancer.
He was an outspoken voice and advocate, who was unafraid to stand in solidarity with what he found was right, even if that stance led to an arrest.
In 1979, Frazier became the first Black anchor on a major news show in Jacksonville. He hosted the noon newscast at WJXT.
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As the president and founder of the Northside Coalition, Fraizer dedicated his life to racial equality and speaking out against violence. He protested Confederate monuments, pushed city leaders to remove them from area parks, and held demonstrations, calling on the Duval County School Board to change the name of schools bearing the names of Confederate leaders.
Confederate Street is broken up into two places: from Liberty Street to Market Street and runs behind the Springfield Dog Park and Playground from Market Street to Hubbard Street.
The proposed initiative would change Confederate Street to Frazier Place.
The council isn’t expected to vote on the legislation at Tuesday’s meeting, but the community will be able to provide input about the proposed change.