JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville officials unveiled a historic marker to remember civil rights martyr Johnnie Mae Chappell on Friday at a senior citizen center in Northwest Jacksonville.
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.
Now, Chappell’s memory lives on through a watercolor painting, and a historic marker right outside the Lincoln Villa Senior Center.
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Chappell’s children’s names are: Martha, Ruthie, Jackie, Paula, Kathy, Willie, Alonzo, Gregory, Ernest, and Shelton, her youngest son.
“With this marker, it’s like being exonerated,” Shelton Chappell told News4JAX.
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.
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.
Mayor Donna Deegan, councilmembers, friends, and family, poured out their heart and souls for Chappell, but one person who especially did that, was Pablo Rivera.
“This was a real challenge,” Rivera said.
But Rivera took on the challenge, painted this photo of Johnnie May Chappell, and got to meet Shelton for the first time.
“I think that’s the connection that I’m looking for. I think that’s what I that’s what I wanted to do,” Rivera 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 in Jacksonville.
The city has also created a page on the Jacksonville Public Library website as part of the African American History Special Collection.
“Jacksonville, you did it. I really thank you for making a mark. Long time coming. Change gonna come,” Shelton Chappell said.
