Jacksonville will erect a historical monument on the site where a black woman was killed by a white gunman in 1964

The city will erect a historic monument along New Kings Road where Johnnie Mae Chappell died in 1964 when a gunman in a car full of white men fired the fatal shot “without even knowing her name” solely because of her black skin color.

City Council member Nick Howland introduced legislation to provide $10,000 for the monument’s construction after hearing fellow council member Rahman Johnson talk at council meetings about what happened to Chappell.

Last week, the City Council unanimously adopted the bill.

The Chappell family wrote an excerpt that will be included on the marker

Howland said it was significant that the surviving members of the Chappell family wrote a narrative that will go down in history.

“Mrs. Chappell’s story is part of the history of our community – part of the ugly past – and only by telling these stories can we learn from them, and only by learning from them can we become a stronger community,” Howland said. “Nothing we do here can ease the pain and suffering the Chappell family has felt over the last 60 years, but this marker will tell the story of Mrs. Johnnie Mae Chappell.”

Marker describes in detail what happened on the evening of March 23, 1964

Here is the inscription that will be placed on the marker: “This marker stands as a solemn tribute to Mrs. Johnnie Mae Chappell, whose life was tragically taken on the evening of March 23, 1964, during a period of racial violence in Jacksonville. While searching for her wallet that was lost at that location, Mrs. Chappell was targeted by four men in a passing vehicle. One of the men, motivated by racial hatred, fatally shot Mrs. Chappell simply because of the color of her skin committing the crime, the case remained unsolved for several months. When criminal proceedings were finally initiated, the perpetrator was convicted of manslaughter and served only three years of a ten-year sentence.

“Mrs. Johnnie Mae Chappell was more than just a victim of violence; she was the devoted wife of Mr. Willie Chappell, Sr., a devoted mother of ten children, a hard-working housewife/midwife, and a proud resident of the Pickettvilleneighborhood of Jacksonville. This marker honors Mrs. Johnnie Mae Chappell, whose children were placed in state care, forced to grow up in a system without a mother, and whose life was cut short by a racist who, without even knowing her name, pointed a gun and pulled out. May this marker protect Mrs. Chappell’s legacy, remember us about this tragic event in Jacksonville’s history and inspire a future dedicated to peace, equality and justice for all of our city’s residents.

The marker will be five miles from the Dollar General store casualty marker

The Chappell monument will be the second in this part of Jacksonville to be erected in memory of Black people killed in racial violence.

The city recently placed a plaque honoring the three victims murdered by a white Clay County resident who traveled to Jacksonville on Aug. 26, 2023, intending to kill Black people. A gunman opened fire at the Dollar General store on Kings Road near Edward Waters University and killed 52-year-old Angela Carr as she sat in her car in the parking lot; Anolt Joseph “AJ” Laguerre Jr., 19, Saturday shift store employee; and Jerrald Gallion, 29, a customer entering the store.

The Chappell and Dollar General store shootings were nearly six decades apart, but what they had in common was that the victims were shot because of the color of their skin as they went about their daily business.

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The historical marker will join the state tribute to Chappell on the New Kings Road

Chappell’s family tried for years to get city designation for the section of New Kings Road where she died.

The state legislature named part of New Kings Road in her honor in 2005, resulting in the “Johnnie Mae Chappell Parkway” on the side of the road.

A historical marker erected by the city will include detailed information about Chappell.

“Her sacrifice will not be in vain because when people see this sign, they will remember who she was, they will remember what happened, and we will never let this happen again,” Johnson said. “We’ll say her name, we’ll say her name, we’ll say her name: Johnnie Mae Chappell.”

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville to install plaque honoring 1964 racist killing