JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayor Donna Deegan joined city officials and advocates Friday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the LaVilla Lift Ev'ry Voice & Sing Heritage walking trail.
According to its website, established in 1866, LaVilla became a nationally recognized center of Black and Gullah-Geechee culture, music, business and civil rights and was home to a diverse community that included Cuban, Syrian, Greek, Jewish, Chinese and other immigrant families.
The self-guided trail connects 22 historic sites across the neighborhood and shares stories of artists, leaders, institutions and everyday people who helped shape Jacksonville and the nation.
Inspired by the birthplace of the song “Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing,†the website said the trail celebrates LaVilla's resilience, creativity and enduring legacy while inviting visitors to experience its rich history and ongoing revival.
“History should not be hidden away in archives or remembered by only a few,†Mayor Donna Deegan said. “It should be accessible and woven into the places people live, work, gather and learn. The LaVilla Heritage Trail does exactly that.â€
Councilwoman Jacoby Pittman, who helped champion the project, urged the community to see preservation as essential to identity and future strength.
“When we preserve history, we preserve identity,†she said. “When we lift every voice, we strengthen the future.â€
Organizers described the trail as more than markers and plaques. Officials said it will support neighborhood engagement and economic activity tied to nearby projects, including Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Park, the Johnson Commons townhomes and the planned graduate campus affiliated with the University of Florida.
Officials urged continued investment in La Villa to preserve its cultural assets and expand opportunities for residents.
“We need investments, resources — we need money to ensure that the stories are not lost, but celebrated and shared,†Pittman said.
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