The fake outrage by Republican City Council members against Mayor Donna Deegan for removing the Confederate monument from Springfield Park is blatantly partisan. Council members should instead thank her, since this has finally made good on a promise made by the former mayor. Her leadership kept this council from continuing to kick this decision down the road.
The mayor’s achievements should instead be celebrated by the council, as she is helping to unite our city. A recent example of this is the Unity Breakfast on Jan. 12 celebrating the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There were more than 2,100 Jacksonville residents in attendance.
This is the first time in several years that the city has held one breakfast, rather than separate events. Previously there was one event hosted by the city of Jacksonville and the Chamber of Commerce, with the other hosted by the NAACP and the Urban League. This reflected a division in the city, where communities of color were largely ignored.
The week of service that followed this year’s breakfast received $284,000 in funding from the City Council to support the service projects that took place. Mayor Deegan helped make that happen.