JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville officials will unveil a historic marker to remember civil rights martyr Johnnie Mae Chappell on Friday at 10 a.m. at the Lincoln Villa Community Center.
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Mayor Donna Deegan will join Councilmembers Nick Howland, Ju’Coby Pittman, and Rahman Johnson for the event.
Johnnie Mae Chappell was a wife and mother of 10 children who was shot and killed on March 23, 1964, by a white man in a passing car on Jacksonville’s Northside.
Her children’s names are: Martha, Ruthie, Jackie, Paula, Kathy, Willie, Alonzo, Gregory, Ernest, and Shelton, her youngest son.
Chappell’s murder was considered racially motivated and became a symbol of the fight for civil rights in Jacksonville.
The city said the tribute is part of its dedication to acknowledging its challenging past.
Community advocates and members of the Chappell family, including Shelton will be at the unveiling.
Shelton, who was 4 months old when his mother was killed, said he wants people to remember her for the amazing woman she was.
St. Paul AME Church on New Kings Road is a special place for Shelton, who said he feels no tension there, only peace.
“It’s down the street from the marker where my mother was killed,” Shelton Chappell said. “I’m a saxophonist here, but most of all, the Lord is here, the Lord is here. When I play my horn, I’m playing through the glory in honor of God, because I know my mother can hear it.”
He had to pause for a moment as he remembered his mother.
“When you speak about Johnnie Mae Chappell, that’s my heart, that’s my life,” Shelton said. “She brought me into this world.”
Until adulthood, Shelton was sent to live in 10 different foster homes and a juvenile shelter.
“I asked one foster mother say, ‘Do you know?’ Because I’ve always tried to find out where my family was. I know I had a family. I knew this. My question is, why are we in the foster homes? Why [were] we put away? What did we do?‘” Chappell said.
Though he knows the story now, it wasn’t like that for years. For now, his goal is to make sure his mother is never forgotten.
He said the city’s recognition should have happened a long time ago.
“Very long time ago, while my dad was alive. He died in ‘95 and should have been done long before that,” Chappell said. “The last words from her for my dad was, ‘Willie, take care of my children. And take care of my baby.’”
He said a big weight will be lifted off the family after the event.
“Exonerated. Our lives changed in the ’60s. We can’t bring mama back, but we can learn from history and not to repeat it,” Chappell said.
Councilman Johnson talked about why the recognition is important.
“This marker is more than a symbol, it is a promise that history will not be forgotten,” Johnson said. “We’re not just sharing a piece of history, we’re also reaffirming our commitment to the power of community.”
Johnson and Howland collaborated on the legislation during the debate on passing Johnnie Mae’s Law after the 2023 racially motivated Dollar General shooting in Jacksonville.
“I was moved when Councilman Johnson shared the tragic story of Mrs. Chappell’s murder,” Howland said. “I was not aware of it, and when I visited the site, there was nothing to fully commemorate what had happened there. Only by telling the stories of the past - no matter how tragic - do we learn from them. Only by learning from them do we become a stronger community.”
The Lincoln Villa Community Center is at 7866 New Kings Road, Jacksonville, FL 32219.
The city has also created a page on the Jacksonville Public Library website as part of the African American History Special Collection.
Chappell said the family will continue to press on.
“I’m reminded by words I heard from Dr. King and some of his speeches, ‘If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk, if you can’t walk, crawl, but keep moving. Keep moving forward,‘” Chappell said.
