Jacksonville, FL – On January 20, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a broad coalition of 20 organizations united to bring out over 150 people to the Duval County Courthouse to protest Trump’s agenda. Hearing from speakers representing various struggles, the people of Jacksonville affirm their fight for national liberation movements, workers, immigrants, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights and more.

With a backdrop of the American flag, the Jacksonville community stood committed to making Trump’s America ungovernable; “We are here to honor Dr. King’s dream by being Trump’s nightmare,” said a member of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee.

The crowd also heard from organizations such as the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Students for a Democratic Society. To combat Trump’s racist, reactionary agenda over these next four years, these organizations stressed the necessity of uniting various people’s movements. Passersby could hear the crowd chanting, “The people united, will never be defeated!”

A second Trump term promises an escalation of discrimination and repression of Arab communities, reminiscent of the 2017 Muslim ban. Far from an anti-war administration, the impunity provided to Israel by the U.S will not lessen.

“The last 15 months of genocide in Gaza and the persistence of resistance has given new life to people’s movements all around the globe, signaling a decline of imperial powers and a broadening of political consciousness. We must use this moment not to relax our fight for Palestinian liberation, but to escalate it,” said Ryan Delaney from the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network.

A general theme heard throughout the evening was of perseverance; that the people must not despair and instead get organized. It was emphasized that over the next four years, the people in Jacksonville will not falter in the struggle against Trump's agenda.

#JacksonvilleFL #Jax #JCAC #Trump #Inauguration #JPSN #FreePalestine #MLK #MLKday #FRSO #SDS

Jacksonville, FL – On Monday, July 29, around 75 attendees gathered at Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Park in Jacksonville for a vigil honoring the life of Sonya Massey.

Speakers pointed out how tragically common it is for police to kill people in the communities they claim to protect and serve. The need for a Public Safety Committee in Jacksonville was a common sentiment from community members who spoke at the vigil.

“It is unacceptable that Black people have to live in fear of being harassed and killed by police even when they are the ones who called them,” said event co-organizer Kiana Blaylock. Community members chanted, “Say her name – Sonya Massey.”

Organized by the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, speakers from multiple community organizations, including the Transgender Awareness Project, Northside Coalition of Jacksonville, Take Em Down Jax, UNF Students for a Democratic Society and the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity network reflected on the loss of Sonya Massey.

After a moment of silence, event organizers encouraged vigil attendees to get involved for the fight for civilian oversight through a Public Safety Committee in Jacksonville.

#JacksonvilleFL #Jax #JCAC #UNF #UNFSDS #SDS #SonyaMassey

Over 1000 mourners gathered today, May 23, for the memorial service for D'AngeloStallworth. Stallworth was a father of three and part-time supervisor at UPS with 11 years at the company. Pastor Craig Campbell, a UPS driver, led the service at the Paxon Revival Center.

D'Angelo was shot and killed by two Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officers on May 12 as the officers were serving an eviction notice to a neighbor. After getting into a confrontation with Stallworth, the officers fired a total of six shots as he fled down the stairs. The police immediately came out with a story full of inconsistencies, so the family ordered an independent autopsy of the body. The recently released autopsy shows that the bullets that entered his body, including the fatal shot, came from above and behind. This indicates that not only was D'Angelo unarmed when killed, but he was shot in the back.

The service included a praise dance as well as a beautiful solo singing performance by Latoya Watts. Pastor Campbell then opened up the microphone for reflections from those who knew him best. Friends and family shared stories of D'Angelo as a man who loved his children and always had a smile on his face. Several remarked on the huge attendance as a testament to the kind of person D'Angelo was. Many of the speakers ended their reflections by stating that “justice will be served.” Dozens and dozens of mourners wore #Justice4Dee T-shirts to mark their commitment to bringing the officers who killed D'Angelo to justice.

Many fellow UPSers attended the ceremony to show their support. Coworkers used the week beforehand to go to the massive Jacksonville UPS warehouse where D'Angelo worked to inform people of the memorial service. A supervisor set up a board at the warehouse entrance while hourly employees handed out fliers at the gates.

After the service, attendees drove to Jacksonville Memory Gardens to put D’Angelo Stallworth’s body to rest. Fight Back! will continue to cover further actions and events regarding this case.

#Jacksonville #JacksonvilleFL #PoliceBrutality #PeoplesStruggles #Florida #BlackLivesMatter #DangeloStallworth #Justice4Dee #Jax