Jacksonville Beach Denies Permit For ‘HBCU Beach Day’ Event

'From the email, we thought that everything was a go.'

Organizers of the third annual “HBCU Beach Day” said the event was denied a permit by Jacksonville Beach officials.

The event, set for April 12, is expected to attract hundreds of college students to Jacksonville Beach, First Coast News reports. Organizers also received a cease-and-desist letter from city officials, warning of potential consequences if the event goes ahead without a permit.

“It’s historical for the Black community,” organizer Tyree Jackson said. “Just to bring everyone together and just to show everyone that we can come together and we can have a good time, and we can do everything the right way without having any issues.”

Jackson said the application was submitted in March. He and fellow organizer Jarrod Gunn believed they were in the clear to proceed.

“We weren’t told that we can’t even have the event,” Jackson said. “From the email, we thought that everything was a go.”

However, city officials said the permit application was denied because it was submitted fewer than 90 days in advance, a violation of city regulations.

“There’s rules, state statutes, there’s city ordinances, all of those are in place to protect everybody from the people that are visiting here,” Sgt. Tonya Tator with the Jacksonville Beach Police Department said.

Organizers noted that it’s too late to cancel, as many students have already booked accommodations and made travel arrangements. With college students from across Florida expected to attend, “we actually want to do it the right and the legit way,” Jackson said.

Jackson said officers declined payment offers to ensure safety at the event. He also emphasized his desire to distance the “HBCU Beach Day” event from any negative incidents that occurred during other gatherings they had no involvement in.