JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Representative Angie Nixon, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee and Florida For All are demanding that the City of Jacksonville address racism and increase resources in Black communities.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Nixon, the executive director for Florida For All, just released a petition demanding three key initiatives she believes can address racism and increase resources in the Black community.
“We have a petition that will ask the council to create an anti-racism task force to address issues of white supremacy,” said Nixon.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Nixon said the groups also want city council members to create a public safety committee that would allow community members a seat at the table in reviewing public safety strategies and help protect vulnerable communities. She added they are also asking for a people’s budget.
“Which prioritizes addressing inequities in the New Town area and other Black communities in Jacksonville,” said Nixon.
Read: ‘He shouldn’t go unpunished;’ Family looking for justice after devastating crash claimed three lives
For the people’s budget, Nixon said they aren’t asking for a set amount of dollars.
“What we are requesting is to make sure our parks are clean and just making sure overall within Northwest Jacksonville we have amenities,” said Nixon.
Nixon said she, along with others, has created this idea for the bold city because of the three innocent Black lives that were taken away last month in a racially based mass shooting at a Dollar General in New Town.
“Many elected leaders [are not helping], particularly those in leadership across our state based on the rhetoric they have been spewing and the anti-black policies they’ve been pushing,” said Nixon.
Read: Police said shooting at Hogans Creek claimed teen’s life, another person injured
Nixon told Action News Jax that she is expecting hundreds of signatures on this petition. She and others plan to speak to Jacksonville City Council members in Tuesday’s city council meeting about these proposals.
We did reach out to Mayor Donna Deegan’s assistant to get a statement in response to the petition, but they said the Mayor was unavailable.
Read: Victims remembered from racist mass shooting in New Town, unity rally at James Weldon Park
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
