JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Public servant, civic leader, dedicated wife, and mother.
It’s safe to say Joyce Morgan has worn a lot of hats over the years. But if you’ve been part of the Northeast Florida community for a while, there’s a good chance you first remember her as a television news broadcaster in the Jacksonville market. As she’ll tell you, she didn’t start out that way.
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“My background was in business education, so I really wasn’t the typical person who was trying to get into broadcasting. Instead, I did it on a dare because somebody else told me they were going to do it,” Morgan explained. “People were looking, and they were looking for different talent and I was the talent that was chosen out of 4,000 people.”
Morgan and John Gaughan started the morning show on the CW back in 1988.
“And if you think about it, an African American starting a morning show, I was actually the first because they didn’t have a morning show at that time,” Morgan said.
Morgan anchored the show for about two and a half years before heading to Dallas. Prior to starting in Jacksonville, she was a television personality in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia. But she realized Jacksonville was truly home. She returned for good in 1993. Though she did very well as a local Black local journalist, there were still some challenges.
“Back in those days, there wasn’t very many of us on television at that time,” Morgan said. “And so, we really had to have a strong network within ourselves so that we could motivate each other.”
For Morgan, “motivate” truly is the magic word. Not to mention, making a difference. That goal is what led her to run for City Council District 1, representing the Arlington neighborhood. Morgan said she studied the district for nearly a year. One accomplishment she’s especially proud of is the improvements to Blue Cypress Park. But her desire to serve was just beginning. On June 22, 2023, Morgan was sworn in as Duval County Property Appraiser. She said her interest in running stemmed from wanting to make a difference.
“It’s absolutely the same thing,” Morgan said. “It’s the right timing. It’s looking at the situation in life. It’s saying, ‘What can I do’? Can I make it better?”
As property appraiser, Morgan has 113 employees, whom she refers to as the “backbone of the city of Jacksonville.”
“53% of the city’s coffers are obtained through property taxes, that’s what my people do every single day,” Morgan said. “I am their biggest cheerleader, I am their biggest advocate.”
Though it’s been a long time since she left the news, Morgan said she’s grateful more than ever to see so many African American female journalists at News4JAX and beyond.
“I love it, I absolutely love it,” Morgan said. “And I watch everybody.”
Morgan said next month, she’s being recognized as one of 20 “Women of Influence” by the Jacksonville Business Journal. Though she’s done a lot, no matter what, Morgan said one philosophy will never change.
“To whom much is given, much is required,” Morgan said. “I have been given so much, so many opportunities in my life. So, I will always give back.”
