Jacksonville chosen for U.S. Civil Rights Trail expansion, launching 40-marker citywide history and education project

Jacksonville added to national civil rights travel network as 2026 expansion proceeds

Jacksonville has been selected as a 2026 expansion location for the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, a national destination network launched in 2018 that links historically significant places connected to the civil rights movement. The Jacksonville selection is part of a broader 2026 expansion that also adds sites in Virginia, Louisiana and Tennessee.

City officials say the designation will be implemented locally through a Jacksonville Civil Rights Trail, designed as a citywide set of place-based markers paired with educational elements and storytelling intended to connect residents, students and visitors to neighborhoods, institutions and organizing sites tied to Jacksonville’s civil rights history.

What the Jacksonville Civil Rights Trail will include and when markers are expected

The project is planned to include 40 markers. The first five are scheduled for installation in February 2026 during Black History Month. The first marker is set to be installed in front of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at 1 p.m. After February, the city plans an installation pace of three to five markers per month.

Project descriptions indicate the local trail will cover both landmark events and community-level leadership over time, aiming to document how organizing developed across different parts of the city rather than focusing solely on a single site or moment.

How this designation fits within existing national civil rights recognition in Jacksonville

Jacksonville already has at least one nationally designated civil rights site through the African American Civil Rights Network: James Weldon Johnson Park, downtown. The park is recognized for its connection to the Aug. 27, 1960 demonstration often referred to as “Ax Handle Saturday,” which followed weeks of student-led sit-ins challenging segregation at downtown lunch counters.

The expansion announcement frames the new trail markers as a way to broaden public access to Jacksonville’s civil rights history by placing interpretation directly in the locations where events occurred, rather than limiting interpretation to museum-style settings.

What the U.S. Civil Rights Trail is, and what inclusion typically signals

The U.S. Civil Rights Trail is a collection of more than 130 sites—primarily across Southern states—associated with activism that challenged segregation and advanced civil rights, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s. Inclusion generally functions as both historical recognition and a structured wayfinding and interpretation effort for the public, with participating destinations providing on-the-ground information for self-guided visits.

Key verified details at a glance

• Jacksonville is a 2026 expansion location for the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.
• The local Jacksonville Civil Rights Trail is planned to include 40 markers.
• First five markers are scheduled for February 2026.
• First marker is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2026 at 1 p.m., at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church.
• James Weldon Johnson Park is designated within the African American Civil Rights Network and is associated with events of Aug. 27, 1960.

The city’s rollout plan emphasizes on-site interpretation and ongoing installations through 2026, with the stated goal of connecting historic events to present-day streets, neighborhoods and institutions.