Democratic Jacksonville mayor removes Confederate statue, skirting City Council approval

Democratic Jacksonville, Florida, Mayor Donna Deegan announced on Wednesday the “Tribute to the Women of the Southern Confederacy” statue in the city was removed.

The statue, which had been in place at Springfield Park in Jacksonville since 1915, has become the latest Confederate statue to be removed from a public area. Deegan, who was elected to the mayor’s office earlier this year, said in a statement that the removal was not to “erase history” but rather to “show that we’ve learned from it.”

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“Symbols matter. They tell the world what we stand for and what we aspire to be. By removing the confederate monument from Springfield Park, we signal a belief in our shared humanity. That we are all created equal. The same flesh and bones. The same blood running through our veins. The same heart and soul,” Deegan said.

“This is not in any way an attempt to erase history but to show that we’ve learned from it. That when we know better, we do better by and for each other. My prayer today is for our beautiful city to continue embracing unity and bending the arc of history towards justice. Let’s keep lifting as we climb,” she added.

The removal sparked outrage from some Republicans, including state Rep. Dean Black, who represents a neighboring district to Jacksonville. Black accused Deegan of an “abuse of power” by removing the statue without the Republican-controlled City Council ever moving on a proposal to do so. In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Black called on the City Council to hold Deegan accountable.

“The unilateral decision to remove the Women of the Southland Memorial at Springfield Park is a stunning abuse of power by [Deegan]. This action, undertaken in the middle of the night, during the holidays, without consultation of city leaders or a vote by the council, is another in a long line of woke Democrats obsession with Cancel Culture and tearing down history,” Black wrote. “Choosing to erase our history is not ‘brave’ — it is a cowardly act done by a lawless Mayor who hides under the cover of night! We call on the City Council to seek immediate accountability — the people of Jacksonville expect no less.”

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The mayor’s office said the removal of the statue did not require approval from the City Council because the removal was done using funds from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and anonymous donors made to 904WARD rather than city funds.

“Our legal analysis finds that Mayor Deegan has the authority as executive of the City — and because city funds are not being utilized — to control the property, the park, and the monument,” General Counsel Michael Fackler said in a statement. “We have worked closely with Procurement, Public Works, and Parks on the approved scope of work in accordance with municipal code in how we contract for and complete these services.”