City Council leaders’ absence from MLK Day parade fueling rift between Duval GOP, organizers

2 years ago 576

Council members & organizers accidental it was miscommunication. Duval GOP says it was political.

(From near to right) Photos of Jacksonville City Council President Sam Newby, Jacksonville City Council Vice President Terrance Freeman.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A time aft Jacksonville’s parade for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., there’s a rift betwixt section Republicans and parade organizers.

The occupation centers connected 2 men: City Council President Sam Newby and City Council Vice President Terrance Freeman. Both are Republicans and some thought they should be near the front of the parade since it’s the archetypal clip successful Jacksonville past that 2 Black metropolis councilmen held the apical spots.

Instead of marching, the 2 did not participate.

Newby and Freeman some told News4JAX they thought it would lone beryllium earthy they would beryllium upfront successful the parade to showcase that achievement.

Freeman explained to News4JAX what happened earlier the parade.

“Councilman Newby and I planned connected attending and walked implicit to the parade, and upon getting determination we were informed that determination was a alteration successful the protocol,” helium explained.

The section Republican enactment believes it has each to bash with the assembly members’ enactment affiliation. Freeman and Newby said it was a miscommunication -- arsenic did parade organizers.

“So arsenic a result of the miscommunication, we decided it would beryllium champion for america to not enactment this year,” Freeman added.

“I was amazed and I considered it disrespectful,” Newby told News4JAX by phone.

The councilmembers would not remark connected whether it had to bash with their enactment affiliation. But I questioned it to Freeman.

“That is the underlying current. That is what I support proceeding from others,” Freeman told me. “I’m not a caput reader. As I shared with the parade director, the optics are atrocious and I could spot however 1 would gully that conclusion.”

I besides reached retired to Gary Thomas, the parade organizer. He said helium was not alert of what happened, and said helium believed it was a misunderstanding. He said helium would beryllium contacting some Newby and Freeman.

Both councilmen said they did speech to Thomas connected Tuesday and anticipation thing similar this won’t hap successful the future.

A connection from a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Duval County reads:

“On a time erstwhile we should observe the bonzer achievements made by Dr. King, it is disappointing to perceive that divisive authorities worked its mode to the yearly MLK parade. This twelvemonth was a historical accidental to observe our archetypal dual African-American Council Presidency and Vice Presidency. For parade officials to determination President Newby and Vice President Freeman to the backmost of the parade - solely based connected their governmental affiliation arsenic Republicans - is simply a slap successful the look to the bequest of Dr. King and the City of Jacksonville. These actions are inexcusable, the Council Members are owed an apology and this indispensable ne'er hap again!”

The Duval County Democratic Party had nary comment.