Article by Gregg Kaufman Describes a Report on Sixteen Forums in Jacksonville, Florida

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You can read a guest column by Rev. R. Gregg Kaufman, Our city will benefit from productive forums on history, that was published May 7, 2018 on the Florida Times-Union Jacksonville.com. In the column, Kaufman describes a series of 16 forums that were held to help people discuss Jacksonville, Florida history and the role that parks and monuments play in it, and what changes, if any, should be made.

Forum participants used an issue guide that included the three approaches for consideration. The guide, titled How Should We Convey the History of Jacksonville? Monuments, Parks and People was written by Kaufman and is available as a free download.

A 16-page (including appendices) report on outcomes from the forums is also available as a free download.

The following is excerpted from the May 7th guest column by Kaufman:

Earlier this year, more than 200 citizens gathered in 16 forums to address this topic: How should we convey the history of Jacksonville, and the roles that monuments, parks and people play in it?

Known as Issues Forum Jacksonville, this effort saw participants devote several hours to carefully listening to a range of perspectives provided by their fellow residents during the forums. The initiative was hosted by The Jessie Ball duPont Fund and Leadership Jacksonville, and it was in response to City Council President Anna Lopez Brosche’s public desire for Jacksonville to have a productive conversation about its Confederate monuments.

For more information about this work, contact Gregg Kaufman at gkaufman8@mac.com