DeLand commission hears Equal Justice Initiative marker request for 1891 lynching; debate over wording and right‑of‑way

Representatives of the Volusia Remembers coalition and the Equal Justice Initiative briefed the DeLand City Commission on a proposed EJI marker to recognize Lee Bailey, who was lynched in DeLand in 1891. The coalition sought the commission's agreement to place a standardized EJI marker near the historic site and asked for city help with permitting and placement.

Reggie Williams, spokesperson for Volusia Remembers, framed the project as part of a broader effort "to remember, acknowledge and reflect upon the history of racial terror." He said Volusia Remembers is an EJI community-remembrance partner and described the coalition's work to document local lynchings, hold ceremonies and collect soil from sites to be included in a national collection.

EJI will pay for the foundry lettering and shipping of the marker; Volusia Remembers offered to cover installation costs. The bronze markers weigh about 250 pounds, use a standardized color required by EJI, and carry a two-sided text set by EJI standards. Coalition members recommended a location on Rich Street between Clara and Florida, near the county parking lot and the Athens Theater; city staff and the coalition discussed line-of-sight and access from the adjacent public parking.

Commission discussion focused on the marker text and community impact. Commissioner Kevin Reed said the draft language "takes a bit of liberty with the story" and recommended changes to align the marker more closely with the historical newspaper record. Vice Mayor Jessica Davis said she wanted to avoid text that could bring dishonor to descendants and preferred language that local historians and family members would not find inflammatory. Reggie Williams said the coalition had worked with local historian Sydney Johnston and had negotiated some edits but that EJI maintains national standardization for marker language; the coalition accepted the current text but indicated they would continue to seek adjustments if the commission requested them.

City staff described the next administrative step: preparing a right-of-way use application and coordinating with the county parking authority and public works on location and installation logistics. The city manager said the presentation was informational and that no final approval was being granted that night; commissioners and staff agreed to proceed with the right‑of‑way application so the coalition could finalize the marker with the foundry. The commission did not vote on the text; several commissioners asked that Reggie Williams and the coalition continue to work with Commissioner Kevin Reed and city staff on language.

Why it matters: an EJI marker and associated public ceremonies aim to document and memorialize a violent episode in the county's past; commissioners debated how to tell that history in a way that is accurate, appropriately reconciliatory and sensitive to descendants and the downtown historic district's design standards.

Clarifying details provided in the presentation: EJI covers marker cost and shipping; each EJI marker is standardized in color and dimensions; coalition members said one soil jar from the local sites is held in the African American Museum and duplicates have been sent to Montgomery, Ala.; the proposed local marker weight is about 250 pounds and the coalition will arrange installation funding. The city flagged a potential downtown color-code conflict with the marker's standard finish and said staff would check design-code issues as part of the ROW process.

The commission signaled general support for the marker project but requested more conversation about language. Staff will process a right-of-way use application and bring permit details back to the commission; the coalition will continue to work with EJI and local historians on the marker text.