Federal Appeals Court Hears Challenge to Jacksonville Confederate Monuments

Earl Johnson Jr., a civil rights attorney and son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s attorney, is appealing to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to revive his 2021 lawsuit challenging Jacksonville and Florida's use of public funds to maintain Confederate monuments on taxpayer-owned property. Johnson argues that these public tributes represent government-backed white supremacy and violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the U.S. Constitution by causing stigmatic injury and racial discrimination. Despite the removal of the 108-year-old Tribute to the Women of the Southern Confederacy statue, Johnson maintains that the presence of numerous monuments, street names, and parks honoring the Confederacy continues to demean Black residents and infringe on their rights. The case had been dismissed in 2023 due to lack of standing, but Johnson asserts that the stigmatic harm he experiences confers legal standing for the appeal. Supporters, including activist Kelly Frazier, emphasize that these monuments symbolize hate and call for a broader reckoning with racial injustice in public spaces. The appeals court decision, which could take several months, may set a precedent for how Confederate monuments are treated in Jacksonville and potentially across Florida.