Letter of Support to Rename Hemming Plaza in Honor of James Weldon Johnson

Good Evening Councilmembers,

My name is Amanda Marron and I am a Navy Veteran who has lived in Jacksonville for over 16 years. I was very disappointed to hear that there was contention in regards to the renaming of Hemming Park to James Weldon Johnson Park during the Neighborhoods Committee Meeting in the last few weeks.

Jacksonville is a military city. Memorials to Veterans are in abundance. COJ, as well as local partnering nonprofits, go above and beyond to make sure that Veterans are not only recognized but are made welcome here and not forgotten. We have Veterans Memorial Arena and the Veterans Memorial Wall there, Memorial Park, beautiful statues and remembrances at Cecil Field and NAS Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Veterans National Cemetery, Camp Milton, Yellow Bluff, and I know I’ve seen markers at Tillie Fowler denoting Camp Johnston and why there is a brick road that leads through the center of a forest. There are the annual events such as Womens Veterans Week, Veterans Day and the Parade, Memorial Day and a number of other events and remembrances throughout the year where Veterans are featured and treated with respect.

Veterans are honored more than any other demographic in our City and, as an 11-year Navy Veteran who served at NAS Jacksonville, I am grateful. However, Veterans don’t need to take over every single memorial or new honorific just because of that sense of patriotism. Honoring Veterans shouldn’t take away from the legacy of local heroes such as Mr. Johnson, especially when there’s the potential of whitewashing those legacies. It seems as though Veterans are being used in an effort to derail the deserved honor of Mr. Johnson much in the way that helped erect the Confederate monuments within the park and the original renaming in the first place. It’s pretty clear to me that this was done to be purposefully divisive because anyone knows that it’s going to get ugly when you pit honoring Veterans against anything or anyone else. I do not appreciate being represented in this way or have my service used in such a way.

I am ashamed that we have leadership in this City who are using their privilege to push this agenda of whataboutism, rather than support and lift up their fellow Black Council people and the Black residents of Duval County. I would like the latter to know that I am appalled by this and do not feel that you should have been put in a position to choose between Veterans and Mr. Johnson. Nor should there be a compromise where there wasn’t one needed in the first place. I feel pretty connected to the Veterans community in town and saw nothing in regards to this being an issue. This could have been an incredible moment for our City. One where we finally recognize a resident who wholly deserves this honor and find a way forward from the mistakes and intimidating methods of the past. Instead, it seems like history is repeating itself.

As a non-Jacksonville native, I never knew that “Lift E’vry Voice and Sing” existed until I participated in a Black History Month celebration while stationed in Sicily. I worked as a member of the NAS Sigonella Heritage Committee for all 3 years while stationed there. It wasn’t until Black Sailors, whom I planned the event with, educated me on Mr. Johnson and his song. I had just moved to Sicily after living in Jacksonville for 4 years and didn’t know. Why hasn’t Jacksonville been more proud to promote and honor its citizens of color? Maybe had there been a park named after him or something that gave him a bit more visibility in town, a young Sailor like myself would have thought to look him up or read a plaque denoting his significance. Instead, I didn’t find out about him until I moved overseas.

Renaming Hemming for James Weldon Johnson is a perfect solution and a solid path forward to inclusivity and healing. The honor should belong to Mr. Johnson and Mr. Johnson alone. Leave Veterans out of it completely and let our Black residents have this win. Our country is a melting pot, our Military is a melting pot, as is our City. It’s time to let that shine. I implore you to vote for renaming Hemming Park after James Weldon Johnson. I can understand voting on the compromise Amendment of adding Veterans Plaza, but as a Veteran, I do not think it’s needed and will not think less of any of you for voting no.

Thank you for your time,
Amanda L. Marron
Aviation Electrician's Mate Second Class (Aviation Warfare)