Jacksonville residents who witnessed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches shared powerful memories Wednesday as the city unveiled a new civil rights marker at Mount Ararat Baptist Church on North Myrtle Avenue. The church, a pivotal site in the civil rights movement, is now part of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. Jacksonville was announced as one of the trail’s newest additions earlier this year, joining nearby St. Augustine.
Elliott Chapman, a longtime member of the church, recalled being just 20 years old when King visited.
“It was a new feeling, a new way of life,” Chapman said. “It was almost giving us more strength in what we were doing and motivating ourselves to be… what you want to be. If you’re going to be a street sweeper, be one of the best.”
Chapman later built 15 churches and taught young men trades in construction, inspired by the leadership he saw in his community and King’s message.
Deloris Suggs Milton, who was 11 at the time, described meeting Dr. King as “an awesome opportunity.”
“I remember shaking Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s hand and how soft as cotton it was,” Milton said. “He was so pleasant and comfortable with us, just talking to him. It was beautiful.”
Milton also reflected on life before the Civil Rights Act, noting that her schools, friends, and daily life were segregated. She recalled a small act of defiance: drinking from the white water fountain when no one was looking.
The marker honors the historic moment when King delivered his sermon “This is a Great Time to Be Alive” at Mount Ararat Baptist Church.
The Jacksonville U.S. Civil Rights Trail ensures that these stories remain visible and accessible,” Mayor Donna Deegan, who unveiled the marker, said.
The church has long been a hub of cultural and civic activity. Aretha Franklin performed here, Little Richard spoke, and Dr. King and his father preached and marched down Myrtle Avenue.
The current pastor, Harris, emphasized the importance of the church beyond worship: “The black church was more than a site of religious worship. It transformed into an important hub of education, political action, and social organization,” he said.
For Chapman and Milton, the marker represents more than a historical acknowledgment.
“I’ve seen where we come from, to a mature area, and I see now what we have as a completed mark… even for the attention to say that we have a Martin Luther King sign put on our church, and that’s a great thing for me,” Chapman said.
City leaders say the dedication of this marker is just the beginning. More than two dozen new civil rights markers are planned across Jacksonville, highlighting historic churches, schools, parks, and protest sites, all part of the growing Civil Rights Trail.