Civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit demanding the Jacksonville City Council “start over” on recently approved boundary lines.
The redistricting process, which occurs every 10 years, has come under fire from the NAACP, American Civil Liberties Union and the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville. What’s controversial to those groups
The full Jacksonville City Council meets every other Tuesday — 19 elected members who conduct Duval County business, including redrawing district lines based on census results once a decade.“Jacksonville is a growing and diverse city,” said Ben Frazier, president of the Northside Coalition. “The 2020 census showed that just over half of the residents are racial or ethnic minorities. And that’s what a lot of people are starting to get worried about.
“We have been underserved, literally for generations, and it’s time for that to change, and this is one of the ways we can change it,” Frazier said. Kent Justice: “Seven out of 19 city council members, so that’s roughly the percentage you just talked about in terms of the ratio among the races. Why is that not good enough? Or why does that not allow the Black voice to be heard when it comes to governing in the city of Jacksonville?”Are you suggesting, for example, that because we have seven Black city council people that that’s enough? I suggest No,” Frazier responded.
Councilwoman Brenda Priestly Jackson is a Black attorney who said during debate on the issue that she strongly supports keeping districts 7, 8, 9 and 10 as districts where Black voters can elect their preferred candidates.Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
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