Lift Ev’ry Voice & Sing Park
Recapturing erased memories, celebrating shared future
About the Project
Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park is currently under construction in the historic LaVilla neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida. When completed, the Park will honor two of Jacksonville’s most famous residents, James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson. The Johnson brothers wrote “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” often called the Black National Anthem, at their home in the LaVilla neighborhood between 1900 and 1905.
Watch the groundbreaking ceremony hosted by the City of Jacksonville on February 24, 2021 with elected officials and community stakeholders
A project of the City of Jacksonville Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Park was designed by world-renowned MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient Walter Hood. The park incorporates elements of the Johnson brothers’ and LaVilla’s cultural and built history while making space for a more inclusive future.
Hear about the vision for Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park from Walter Hood himself
The vision for Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing park comes after years of planning, input meetings, and discussions with community stakeholders about how to best revitalize LaVilla, a once bustling and vibrant neighborhood alive with arts, culture, and entrepreneurship. When opened, Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park will be a destination for residents and visitors to learn about Jacksonville’s dynamic history and participate in programs and activities that allow everyone to feel they belong. It is our hope that Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park will be the beginning of a much larger LaVilla Heritage Trail in Jacksonville.
About LaVilla
LaVilla was one of the first urbanized Gullah Geechee communities to emerge in the early 18th century as enslaved people fled bondage. It eventually became the place that anyone who was not white and Protestant lived and worked; the Jewish, Cuban, Syrian, Chinese, and other immigrants who alongside the African-Americans called LaVilla home turned it into the Harlem of the South.
LaVilla was a hotbed of creativity, commerce and life. It boasted thriving theaters, family homes, taverns and flophouses. At its cultural peak, live music reverberated through the streets, flling the neighborhood with the sounds of jazz and blues. Greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday got their starts in LaVilla. Ray Charles, fresh from the St. Augustine School for the Blind, hustled for gigs in LaVilla. The smell of fresh bread emanating from the Jewish New York Star Bakery signaled arrival to the neighborhood for the many visitors pouring from the nearby train station.
Special places served LaVilla’s past and are imperative to help build a vibrant future for the neighborhood, its residents and visitors.
Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park in the News
Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing Park nears completion, expected opening by end of summer
First Coast News (June 18, 2023)
City of Jacksonville reveals first pictures of new park construction in Lavilla neighborhood
WOKV (June 10, 2023)
City breaks ground on Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park
News4Jax (February 24, 2021)
