We remember Ax Handle Saturday, when young Black students, armed only with courage and conviction, staged peaceful sit-ins to demand equality. Their bravery was met with violence. Yet their audacious faith in the future echoes to this day across generations.

We are inspired by the words of James Weldon Johnson, and the music of his brother, John Rosamond Johnson. Both Jacksonville natives, their anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing" has become a national symbol of resilience, hope, and justice.

We honor leaders like Rutledge Pearson, who reminded us, “If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.” His commitment to education and activism inspired many to continue the struggle for dignity and equality with audacious hope for the future.

We celebrate public servants like my dear friend Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, who, like Dr. King, has been a tireless advocate for social justice and active citizenship. Dr. Cole calls me her “Sister Mayor.” As a sister to such a transformational leader, it’s my responsibility to carry forward a vision that meets her legacy.

We do this by emphasizing the importance of collective progress and what a united community can accomplish together.

That means:

• No child in Jacksonville should be denied education, opportunity, and dignity.
• No neighborhood should be left behind as we push forward in making Jacksonville economically attractive for businesses.
• And no voice should go unheard as we build a future where the seat of government is more diverse, inclusive, and equitable for all our citizens.

Dr. King has often been quoted as saying “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” The thing is, we have to help. To quote one of my favorite poets, Bono, “the arc has to be bent, and this requires sheer force of will. It demands our sharpest focus and most concentrated effort. History does not move in a straight line. It has to be dragged, kicking and screaming, all the way down the line.”

Today, our foundational documents are interpreted in ways that perplexingly argue for less protection for “the tired, the poor, the huddled masses.”

Today, disparities in wealth and health persist in our Black and Brown communities in a manner that makes people question if the ideals Dr. King fought and died for will ever become reality.
The book of Hebrews tells us. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.” This sums up what it means to have audacious faith:

• A faith that does not care about past setbacks to weaken our optimism for the future.
• A faith in the moral compact that we are here to leave the world a better place for our children than we inherited from our parents.
• A faith in the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The day before his assassination, Dr. King expressed a sense of foreboding about his mortality, stating, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life... But I'm not concerned about that now... I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you.”

Audacious faith in the future means unwavering belief in an outcome you may not live to see or enjoy. Systemic change takes time. Much of the work we put in today is for our children and grandchildren’s benefit.

Two centuries of history have informed us that change never comes easy. Dr. King taught us that only by having faith in each other can a “mountain of despair” give way to a “stone of hope.”
Hope rests on a vision of CHANGE FOR GOOD.

• Our vision means more expectant mothers are accessing care - today.
• Our vision means more young people have access to books - today.
• Our vision means more young women and men are getting job training and financial literacy – today.
• Our vision means pulling families back from the brink of homelessness with just a little extra help – today.
• Our vision means building more housing that is affordable – today.
• Our vision means small business owners have the resources to successfully follow their dream – today.

In the 12 months since we last spoke:

• We have not just funded the reconstruction of a stadium; we have attached to it a $300 million community benefits agreement that is the largest in the nation for any stadium funding deal. It makes generational investments in workforce and economic development, homelessness, and affordable housing in our historically Black neighborhoods.
• We changed our capital improvement plan scoring to prioritize projects in historically disinvested neighborhoods.
• We finalized developments that will lead to thousands of construction jobs.
• We helped to make healthcare more accessible and affordable.
• We created Jacksonville’s first-ever Mayor’s African American Advisory Board.

And we are not done yet.

From the day it was established, my administration has been fully engaged with the Jacksonville Transformation Coalition — a coalition of the willing that is working across Jacksonville's public, private, and philanthropic sectors to create a city that is not only a destination for businesses and families, but also equitable and inclusive across our many neighborhoods.

I am also bringing the public into the City’s budget process. Over the next 90 days, we will be in neighborhoods across the city listening to the people's priorities regarding how they want our budget to reflect their aspirations.

I am directing our Public Works Department to move key infrastructure projects in Districts 1, 7, 8, 9, and 10 to the front of the line. Our underserved neighborhoods - for whom so many promises have gone unfulfilled - should not have to wait.

The days of what always has been must end.

• The most diverse collection of City boards and commissions is now hard at work making government more accessible.
• We will continue celebrating the heritage of diverse groups in City Hall—from Black History Month to Jewish American Heritage Month, from Hispanic Heritage Month to Arab American Heritage Month—so the beautiful mosaic of our city continues to thrive together.
• Jacksonville.gov now has new transparency dashboards that showcase data about the efficacy of our city government. And throughout this year, we will move forward policy proposals that increase transparency, accountability, and accessibility for our citizens.
• To more effectively use data in decision-making and utilize the emerging tools in artificial intelligence, I am directing my administration to work with the Jacksonville Transformation Coalition to measure how our city stacks up against other peer cities AND to measure the causes of disparities across areas of our city in health, education, and wealth.

The future of what ought to be is now.
We have to keep lighting the path.

To quote the visionary Bell Hooks, in her book All About Love, “When we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone.”

So I need you to keep shining.  I need you to not succumb to the voices of cynicism and despair.
The future belongs to those with audacious faith who believe they can succeed where others have failed.

I look at the people in this room, I hear from the people I meet daily, and I know our city is full of people who believe in our collective potential and act every day in ways - big and small - to move our city forward.

We are not prisoners of the past unless we choose to be.

We have the key to unlock the gate to an unknown and limitless future.

Let us leave today with the same courage as those who came before us and the same audacious faith in the future. Let us proceed with love in our hearts, love for each other, and love in our deeds. Let us lift every voice and take bold steps toward a Jacksonville we know is possible — a city of opportunity with belonging and justice for all.

Let us have the audacious faith to “march on till victory is won.”

Thank you,
Mayor Donna Deegan