Past Collaborative Efforts

Take ‘Em Down Jax has been working on the removal of Confederate statues and changing the names of schools named after Confederate generals since 2017.  

Removal Of The Confederate Soldier Monument In James Weldon Johnson Park

In 2020, the Confederate soldier on top of the Confederate monument, erected in 1898, was removed from Hemming Plaza, which was renamed James Weldon Johnson Park. James Weldon Johnson was a Black writer and civil rights activist born in Jacksonville in 1871. Johnson left Jacksonville with his brother Rosamond partly due to the worsening racial climate and declining conditions for African Americans in their hometown. The base of the monument was later removed in 2024. 

Lee High School Name Changed To Riverside High School

In 2021, Take ‘Em Down Jax was also successful, while working in a strong community coalition, at changing the names of six Duval County schools named after Confederate generals. They are:

Robert E. Lee High School

Jefferson Davis Middle School

Stonewall Jackson Elementary School

Joseph Finnegan Elementary School

J.E.B. Stuart Middle School

Kirby-Smith Middle School 

Removal Of The Women Of The Southern Confederacy Monument In Springfield

In 2020, Confederate Park was renamed Springfield Park. In late December 2024, significant parts of the monument to the Women of the Southland were removed. These were the Confederate woman reading to her children and the woman holding the Confederate flag on top of the monument. The “temple” holding them remains, as do the cannons beside it pointing to the North.   

Take ‘Em Down Jax is also dedicated to educating the Jacksonville community about the harmful legacy of REDLINING and its ongoing impact on economic and racial inequity. Through workshops, events, and outreach, we aim to raise awareness, disrupt systemic injustice, and advocate for policies that create a more inclusive and equitable Jacksonville.