>>VIC MICOLUCCI: HAPPENING TODAY, MAYOR LENNY CURRY WILL ANNOUNCE THE CITY OF
JACKSONVILLE’S PLAN TO
CELEBRATE ITS 2 100TH BIRTHDAY
THIS SUMMER. THE JACKSONVILLE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY ALSO
PLAYING A BIG ROLE IN THE
RIVER CITY’S BICENTENNIAL
CELEBRATION. ALAN BLISS, THE
CEO OF THE JACKSONVILLE,
HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS JOINING
US THIS MORNING. ALAN, FIRST
OF ALL, THIS IS A BIG OCCASION
WITH BIG PLANS. WELL, THE CITY
ONLY GETS ONE BY CENTENNIAL
AND JACKSONVILLE’S HAS BEEN ON
ITS WAY FOR 199 YEARS.
>> WE ARE LUCKY A THING TO BE
LIVING IN JACKSONVILLE AND
EXPERIENCING THIS. THIS A BIG
ANNIVERSARY. WE MEASURE THE
CITY’S FOUNDATIONAL MOMENT
FROM A JUNE 15TH 18. THAT’S
THE DATE OF A PETITION SIGNED
BY A GROUP OF CITIZENS TO THE
THEN SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN
QUINCY ADAMS ASKING TO HAVE A
PLACE THAT THEY CALLED
JACKSONVILLE. DESIGNATED AS A
CUSTOMS PORT OF ENTRY. THAT’S
THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE
ANY RECORD OF ANYBODY CALLING
THIS PLACE. JACKSONVILLE BY
THAT NAME, SECRETARY OF STATE
ADAMS FOR WHATEVER REASON
DECLINED THEIR REQUEST AND
NOTHING MORE CAME OF THAT. BUT
THE NAME GOT TRACTION. AND
EVER SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN
KNOWN BY THAT NAME. SO AND NOT
2022, WE ARE AT THE 2 100TH
ANNIVERSARY. THIS IS ONE OF
THE REASONS WHY THERE IS A
JACKSONVILLE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY AND WITH A GREAT
SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF
JACKSONVILLE FROM ANOTHER, A
NUMBER OF CORPORATE AND
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS AND
LEADING WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER.
A COMMEMORATION COMMUNITY
FESTIVAL FOR SATURDAY, JUNE.
11TH. IT STARTS AT NOON. AND
JAMES WELDON JOHNSON PARK, IT
CONTINUES ON INTO THE EVENING
AND CONCLUDES WITH A FIREWORKS
SHOW. IT WILL BE HISTORIC
EXHIBITS, FOOD AND BEVERAGE
VENDORS, ENTERTAINMENT AND
RIVERFRONT PARK RIVER FRONT
PLAZA. THE FORMER SITE OF THE
LANDING. SO THE WHOLE LAURA
STREET CORRIDOR FROM J W J
PARK DOWN TO THE RIVER FRONT
WILL BE ACTIVATED THAT
SATURDAY. WOW. SOUNDS LIKE A
LOT OF FUN AND OBVIOUSLY J W
J. PARK IS RIGHT THERE BY CITY
HALL AND THE FEDERAL
COURTHOUSE.
>> SO YOU CAN TAKE IT ALL THE
WAY DOWN TO THE RIVER.
>> AND JUST FESTIVITIES
EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. LET’S
TALK ABOUT JACKSONVILLE’S
HISTORY. I MEAN, IT IS A
STORIED ONE. NOT ALWAYS GOOD.
NOT ALWAYS GOOD, BUT WE HAVE
TO LOOK BACK AT OUR HISTORY.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD. WELL,
YOU’RE RIGHT TO POINT THAT OUT
AND JACKSONVILLE HAS A
COMPLICATED HISTORY AND ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT WE THINK
MATTERS IS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
CONFRONT IT AND TO BE FAITHFUL
TO IT AND BE HONEST ABOUT IT.
THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WE’RE STRIVING TO DO WITH THIS
REPRESENTATION OF
JACKSONVILLE’S PAST. YES,
JACKSONVILLE IS A CITY WITH
TERRIBLE PROBLEMS. EVERY CITY
HAS TERRIBLE PROBLEMS. IN ITS
200 HERE IN JACKSONVILLE
REALLY HAS A HAS BECOME A
PLACE WHERE. WE LOOK BACK AT
THE PRECEDING 200 YEARS, BUT
THAT REALLY GIVES US A GOOD
MOMENT. AN INFLECTION POINT TO
LOOK AHEAD AT THE NEXT TO HER.
THAT’S THE VALUE OF BEING
WHERE OF HISTORY AND WHAT ARE
YOU EXPECTING IN THE NEXT 200?
I KNOW THAT’S A REALLY HARD
KIND OF THROW YOU FOR A TRIP
THERE. BUT IN ALL HONESTY,
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MOVING
FORWARD? THAT’S A NICE TRY.
I’M A HISTORIAN. WE DON’T LOOK
AROUND THE CORNER. WE TRY NOT
TO LOOK TOO FAR AROUND THE
CORNER INTO THE FUTURE, BUT
JACKSONVILLE WILL CONTINUE TO
CONFRONT PROBLEMS THAT ARE
DISTINCTIVE TO THE 21ST
CENTURY. BUT IT ALSO REALLY
HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEFINE
ITSELF IN THE 21ST AND 22ND
CENTURY’S OTHER CITIES ARE
PEER CITIES IN FLORIDA HAVE
ASSOCIATED THEIR BRANDS WITH
CERTAIN PIRACY AND TAMPA, A
FAKE STORY. BUT IT’S ONE THAT
THEY STICK TO NONETHELESS, THE
MAGIC SORT OF MESSAGING AROUND
ORLANDO, MIAMI THE GATEWAY TO
THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH
AMERICA. JACKSONVILLE IS THE
LARGEST CITY OF ANY IN FLORIDA
IN SIZE AND IN POPULATION. AND
I ARGUE THAT IT’S THE MOST
AUTHENTIC OF THEM. WE REALLY
HAVE OUR OWN DISTINCTIVE
PERSONA WE HAVE FOR A LONG
YEARS. BEN, THE CITY THAT
OTHERS IN FLORIDA WOULD MOST
LIKE TO BE LIKE. AND I THINK
JACKSONVILLE WILL RETURN TO
THAT ROLE OF PRIMACY IN
FLORIDA IN THE YEARS AHEAD. I
LOVE IT. I LOVE IT. WE’VE GOT
A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
ALLEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
COMING ON REPRESENTING THE
JACKSONVILLE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW,
WE’RE A COUPLE MONTHS OUT FROM
THE ACTUAL BICENTENNIAL
CELEBRATION, BUT WE WILL KEEP
YOU POSTED. YOU WILL HEAR MORE
DETAILS AS THEY DEVELOP RIGHT