5pm A-Block from 08/27/20. The Anniversary of Ax Handle Saturday in Jacksonville, FL. Produced by Abigail Curran

It was a horrible event in our city's history. It's been sixty years since Ax Handle Saturday. On Aug. 27, 1960, young Black civil rights activists were brutally attacked by white men wielding ax handles and baseball bats. This all happened in what is now known as James Weldon Johnson Park, formerly Hemming Park.
Today, a commemorative sit-in was sponsored by the NAACP, the Center for Urban Education and Policy, Leadership Is For Everyone organization, and a host of other individuals and companies. Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted, "Today is a solemn day in our city, the anniversary of Ax Handle Saturday. A day to remember the transgressions of our past and resolve to create a better, more perfect future for all Jacksonville citizens. #onecityonejax". Although his office said they don't think he was invited to the event.

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