Jacksonville, FL – On Oct. 21, the family of Keegan Roberts as well as members of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee gathered at the site of where Keegan was killed by racist Michael Centanni IV, to demand justice.

On July 20, Keegan Roberts, a Black worker, son, husband and father, was murdered in his own driveway by a white, racist, George Zimmerman-style vigilante. State Attorney Melisa Nelson and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office have still not arrested his killer.

Just weeks ago, State Attorney Melissa Nelson ruled her office wouldn’t press charges against Centanni due to a lack of evidence. This promoted outrage in the Black community and the family of Keegan Roberts.

Around 30 protesters chanted, “Justice for Keegan,” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down.”

Speakers such as Keegan’s mother Cecelia Shepard talked about how she won’t rest until justice is served.

“I told Melissa Nelson, you get to go home to your kids. Mine laid there and died. I had to carry mine on my shoulders and my granddaughter I buried. So it is not a joke to me, it may be a joke to them,” Shepard said.

Christina Kittle with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) talked about why a Jacksonville Police Accountability Council (JPAC) is needed to hold cops accountable – like the ones who failed to run a transparent investigation after Keegan’s murder and failed to arrest Centanni.

Kittle led the crowd with chants of, “What do we want? JPAC! When do we want it? Now!”

Lauren Cephus, of the Black Commission, spoke and led a chant of “Justice will be served” to the crowd.

Denise Hunt, a prominent local Black activist said at the vigil, “I told y’all about Melissa Nelson and we fought to get Angela Corey [previous state attorney] out but it’s two different white women with the same white supremacist agenda.”

The family of Keegan and the JCAC have also been working with the national civil rights organization Color of Change which has collected over 55,000 petition signatures nationwide demanding Justice For Keegan. They plan to drop those at State Attorney Melissa Nelson’s office soon.

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