JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ben Frazier’s booming voice commanded attention, but before he channeled his energy into his activism with the Northside Coalition, he channeled it into local broadcasting.
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Frazier was a journalist and was the first Black anchor to host a major Jacksonville news show. He hosted the noon newscasts at WJXT. His daughter, Kelly, remembers her dad’s passion for the news.
“He was always wanting to know what was going on,” Frazier said. “If he saw police cars or anything, it was always like he was still chasing that story.”
Frazier worked in both radio and television, winning numerous awards including the coveted Emmy award. His broadcasting career took him to Jacksonville, Detroit, Washington D.C., and other cities.
Kelly Frazier said when it came to any challenges her dad may have faced as a Black journalist, those were things he kept separate from his home life. Though Frazier was a very successful journalist, he was also largely known for his activism.
Kelly Frazier said one day in 2016 was a turning point for her dad. It all began when she said Frazier was at a gas station in town and witnessed the owner speaking very roughly to a woman. She said Frazier tried to defend the woman by responding to the owner, and that’s when the owner went off on Frazier. In response, Frazier protested at the gas station.
“He thought he had to say something about it and this is everything that took him through, then he saw the change he was able to make,” Frazier said. “They actually had a meeting with him (the gas station owner) and apologized. When he saw the difference he made, it really made him do more.”
That’s when Frazier founded the Northside Coalition, which continues fighting for racial, social, and economic justice. Through the organization, he led numerous protests. His advocacy included calling for the removal of Confederate monuments in Jacksonville and voting.
His daughter is now the group’s president following her father’s death in 2023. Though she remembers him first as a great dad to her and her brother, Frazier also remembers him as a man who followed his passion. She has a message for others looking to do the same.
“All it takes is for you to step out on your dreams,” Frazier said. “You never know if you’ll be noticed, but your actions can definitely lead you to what it is that you’re hoping or looking for. So, I say push on regardless of who you are, what skills you think you don’t have, and you can be a Ben Frazier.”
