#The Past, Present and Future of Historic Eastside
In 2013 a group of residents, small business owners, and stakeholders came together to form the Eastside Community Coalition. The goal was to act as a liaison between residents and civic organizations to identify resources to help support the community as private investment in the neighborhood began to increase. In 2016, ECC (Eastside Community Coalition) became Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation (HECDC) with a mission to preserve and protect the rich history, heritage and culture of Eastside.
Recently, the neighborhood was added to the Florida Main Street Program - with the goal of revitalizing and encouraging economic development (within the context of historic preservation). This September, a panel of community leaders will meet at the Main Library to discuss what this means for the historic African American community and what's next in its rich history.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
Discuss the past, present, and future during this 60-minute panel, featuring guest speakers and local historians. Saturday, September 14, at 2 p.m. in the Map Room on the fourth floor of the Main Library. This program is made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Note: Street parking downtown is free on Saturdays. You can also park in the Library Garage on 33 W. Duval Street and get your parking validated at service desk on the first floor of the Main Library.
ABOUT THE PANEL
Moderator:
Ennis Davis is a certified senior planner who holds a degree in Architecture from Florida A&M University. A mayoral appointee to the Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Commission, Davis has served with various organizations committed to improving urban communities, including the American Planning Association and the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. He is the author of several award-winning books including: Reclaiming Jacksonville, Cohen Brothers: The Big Store and Images of Modern America: Jacksonville. He is also co-owner of The Jaxson and Modern Cities.
Panelists:
Suzanne Pickett, President of Historic Eastside CDC
Ariane L. Randolph, author, co-chair for the Jacksonville Main Street Board of Directors
Travis L. Williams, Chief Operating Officer at LIFT JAX
ABOUT HISTORIC EASTSIDE
Widely considered to be one of Jacksonville’s most important historically Black neighborhoods, the Eastside was home to noteworthy sites, including the Boylan Haven School for Girls, which served girls from prominent African-American families, Brewster Hospital, the first hospital for African-Americans in the city, and Mother Midway A.M.E. Church which, organized in 1865, is the oldest A.M.E. congregation in Florida.
Several prominent African Americans also called Eastside home including Eartha Mary Magdalene White, a humanitarian best known for starting a tuberculosis center and serving as a member of President Woodrow Wilson’s White House Conference; James Weldon Johnson, the first African-American admitted to the Florida Bar and author of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” now known as the Black National Anthem; A. Phillip Randolph, union leader and father of the Civil Rights Movement; Bob Hayes, running back for the Dallas Cowboys and Olympic gold medalist known as the “Fastest Man in the World;” and the 1958 Matthew Gilbert High School football team, the first all-black Florida state champions.
#You May Also Like...
Writer's Lab: Writing Stories, Lifting Voices, Sharing Lives - an Oral History 101 workshop with Dr. Kitty Oliver on Friday, September 20 from 4 - 5 p.m. at the Main Library (during Jax Book Fest). A thought-provoking and entertaining journey through the complexities of collecting, writing, and preserving the stories of marginalized communities, this program is made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
Find more Writers Lab programs!
Be the first to know about upcoming history programs and more!
