“I am honored to recognize these citizens who have worked tirelessly to ensure positive changes. Their contributions have had a lasting impact on our entire community,” said Mayor Brown.

Free parking will be available in the Duval Street Parking Garage, located on the corner of Duval and Main Streets across from the Jacksonville Main Library.

2013 Mayor’s Trailblazer Awardees

• The Honorable Henry Lee Adams, Jr. – First African American Judge for the Middle District of Florida
• Dr. Chester A. Aikens – First African American from Jacksonville to be National Dental Association President
• The Honorable Corrine Brown – First African American elected to the U. S. Congress from Florida since Reconstruction
• The Honorable Pauline Drake – First African American female appointed to the Duval County Court
• The Honorable Dr. Arnett Girardeau – First African American male elected to the Florida Senate and Senate Pro Tempore 
• The Honorable Nathaniel “Nat” Glover, Jr. – First African American elected Sheriff in Duval County and Florida since Reconstruction
• Dr. Adam Herbert – First African American President of the University of North Florida, Chancellor of the Florida State University System and Chairman of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
• The Honorable Dr. Wendell P. Holmes, Jr. – First African American in Duval County and Florida to be elected School Board Chairman
• The Honorable Betty Holzendorf – First African American female from Jacksonville elected to the Florida Senate
• Mrs. Brenda Jackson – First African American to be Named to the New York Times Best Sellers List and the USA Today’s Best-Selling Books List for Romance Novels
• The Honorable Gwendolyn Leaphart – First African American to be named to the Civil Service Board 
• Dr. Charles B. McIntosh – First African American to practice Pediatric Medicine in Jacksonville
• Ms. Rita Perry – First African American founding female publisher of a Weekly Newspaper in Jacksonville and Florida 
• Dr. Alvin G. White – First African American Chief of Staff of Duval County Public Schools
• Dr. Norma Solomon White – First African American in Jacksonville to be elected International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• Dr. Landon Williams – First African American from Jacksonville to be elected International Vice President of the International Longshoremen’s Association – AFL-CIO
• Lt. Col. Alton Yates (ret.) – First African American from Jacksonville to be a test pilot for the U. S. Air Force