The Gullah Geechee community has deep roots in Jacksonville. Beyond the streets and shorelines lives a story of survival, identity, and heritage.
Lena Baker’s legacy of resilience lives on through her great-granddaughter, KaMillion, a Jacksonville rapper, songwriter and actress who has used her platform to highlight her family’s story during Black History Month.
JFRD’s first Black female division chief, M. Dallas Cooke, turned teen motherhood, tragedy and a 17-year climb through the ranks into a platform to serve, lead and open doors for women who look like her.
In LaVilla, once known as the “Harlem of the South”, Black families built a thriving hub of music, business, and culture in the heart of Jacksonville. Through the memories of Joyce Wilcox, the story revisits a community that produced legends like Ray Charles and helped shape a national cultural legacy. Though the construction of Interstate 95 fractured the neighborhood, LaVilla’s spirit of resilience and pride endures.
House music is a worldwide phenomenon, but the Black history of the genre's roots has often been forgotten and overlooked.
The Front Porch History project, showcased at the Ritz Theater and Museum in LaVilla, presents first-person accounts of African Americans who have influenced education, politics, and daily life in the city.
Ronsina Ray, better known on social media as “Real Ronsina,” has built a loyal following of more than half a million by keeping it real. But according to Ronsina, her goal goes beyond the numbers. For her, it’s about visibility, giving mothers who look like her a voice and a place to feel seen.
Voices of the 904 hosted its first live show at the inaugural LaVilla Black History Market, bringing the conversation to Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park. In honor of Black History Month, host Kendra Mazeke spoke with four local leaders about the legacy of Jacksonville’s historic LaVilla neighborhood.
From the silent films of Norman Studios to a new generation of storytellers, Jacksonville’s Black independent film scene is undergoing a quiet resurgence.
There is a growing effort to protect a historic and endangered Jacksonville neighborhood.
The celebration of Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Day was held on February 12, 2026, marking 126 years since the song's first performance at Old Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida.
The press gallery overlooking the U.S. House chamber has been renamed after the prominent abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
The Jacksonville Free Press, founded in September 1986 by Rita Carter Perry, marks a 40-year legacy of representing the Black press in Jacksonville.
For Gary Thomas, Jacksonville’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade isn’t just a procession through downtown streets — it’s a “Freedom Walk” that has defined nearly half a century of his life.
One grassroots idea in Jacksonville’s Historic Eastside has grown into a movement that has uplifted Black-owned businesses, brought families together, and turned A. Philip Randolph Boulevard into an economic engine.
As the 100th anniversary of Black History Month kicks off this month, an annual celebration of jazz and blues is back to bring culture and history to the First Coast.
News4JAX celebrates Black History Month by honoring past trailblazers and recognizing current leaders in the community.
St. Augustine, a city rich with history, is about to cement its legacy with the establishment of Florida’s inaugural Black history museum.
To further celebrate Black History Month, we’re highlighting a place that’s a staple on Jacksonville’s Northside.
Since June 2024, Jordan, Jaylen Fowler and Rique Bentley — all born and raised in Jacksonville — have been bringing the community together every Saturday morning, and recently Tuesday evenings, at Friendship Fountain to run different routes around downtown.
A Jacksonville father started a food truck during the COVID-19 pandemic to empower his daughter and teach her about business.
One way you can celebrate Black History Month is to shop at or visit local Black-owned businesses. So we've compiled a list to help you find them in your neighborhood.
These days you can spot Ken Amaro addressing the issues at Jacksonville city hall, or out and about in District 1. But for decades, he was the guy people in Jacksonville turned to when they had a problem.
A third-generation master tailor talked about the legacy of excellence his father and grandfather created that paved the way for his success today.
Ben Frazier’s booming voice commanded attention, but before he channeled his energy into his activism with the Northside Coalition, he channeled it into local broadcasting.
Jacksonville officials will unveil a historic marker to remember civil rights martyr Johnnie Mae Chappell on Friday at 10 a.m. at the Lincoln Villa Community Center.
Rodney Hurst said Americans must continue to address race, whether it makes them uncomfortable or not.
A hidden legacy was recently uncovered when a local family said they were surprised to learn their aunt was part of the legendary 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as “The Six Triple Eight.”
