Travis Williams: A new day dawns as Jacksonville's 'Out East’ rebuilds from within
I grew up a proud fourth-generation resident of Jacksonville’s Eastside — what my neighbors and I knew as “Out East.” My family has called this neighborhood home since the early 1900s. Growing up, my mother often spoke to me about the importance of timing and seasons. “There’s a season for everything, son,” she’d often say. There is much work before us, but I believe the time just may be right for the dawning of a new day for Out East.
Like most urban neighborhoods that are still intact, Out East has faced many challenges over the last few decades that stem from the residue of redlining, suburban flight, lack of investment and poverty that has festered. Despite the struggles being faced while living in an economically challenged area, community leaders have remained committed to building bright futures that will impact generations to come.
Using within-trification strategies — where reform efforts are driven by the people already living in the neighborhood — we are working with neighbors to revitalize the community in a way that reflects the soul its residents cherish.
What is the Eastside?
The Historic Eastside of Jacksonville is one of the city’s oldest urban core neighborhoods. Other than being home to Jacksonville’s sports and entertainment complex, the area has a rich history of cultural growth, musical exploration and historical impact.
Those who were born, raised, nurtured, developed, worshipped in or who graduated from the area have built the culture of the neighborhood and many have gone on to local and national acclaim. While that rich history is true, the decades of challenges surrounding poverty and crime have crippled the community in many ways.
According to the 2021 U.S. Census, 15.2 percent of Duval County’s population sits at or below the poverty line; this is higher than the national average, which is 12.3 percent. This data is real, more than just statistics and numbers; it impacts real people every day. I personally have experienced the impact of this data. Though this data is not all-encompassing, I firmly believe it’s data that can be changed.
While many investments that did come have historically stepped over the heads of local home-grown leaders, Lift Jax strives to provide a more equitable and collaborative approach in accomplishing audacious goals around revitalization in the community. I believe this approach of working with local established leaders and adding margin with their mission, is a sustainable model that can yield many dividends for many years to come.
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Lift Jax is a nonprofit organization working to eradicate poverty and revitalize the Out East area. As we work to improve Eastside residents’ quality-of-life, the opportunity remains for residents to guide our actions through consistent conversation about the community’s needs and desires.
Projects and initiatives Lift Jax has contributed to include providing resources and investments in state-of-the-art technology for classrooms at the John Love Early Learning Center; collaborating with the Historic Eastside CDC’s Restore and Repair Program to improve long-time Eastside residents’ home infrastructure; and supporting the Jax Melanin Market, a regional market that brings together hundreds of small businesses owned by people of color from around the region.
Most recently, Lift Jax and our community partners broke ground on the restoration of the Debs Store, a grocery store and community center that for decades provided fresh produce, meats and household products to the Out East community.
There have been many people before me who have labored heavily on behalf of the residents of Out East, including local business leaders, pastors, residential leaders and community activists. The social climate of 2020 caused a reckoning throughout our nation and moved many to action. This culmination of events has brought new supporters and resources to the table to create a level of partnership and synergy that has the makings of something transformational.
How to get involved
On behalf of Lift Jax, we are grateful for the continued support of the Eastside community and Jacksonville’s business leaders. We look forward to continuing growth and development in the Eastside alongside our current partners and more. To learn more about Lift Jax or to find ways to be involved in the Eastside, visit liftjax.org.
Travis Williams, vice president of operations and impact, Lift Jax
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Williams: A new day dawns as ‘Out East’ rebuilds from within
