The City of Pensacola invites the public to a dedication ceremony for John Sunday, Jr. Plaza on Thursday, Aug. 25 at 2 p.m. at the north plaza of City Hall, located at 222 W. Main St. in Pensacola.
Mayor Grover C. Robinson, IV, along with District 5 Councilwoman and President/Founder of the John Sunday Society Teniadé Broughton, encourage all members of the community to join in celebrating this tribute to John Sunday, Jr. Immediately following the dedication, attendees are invited to enjoy ice cream sundaes with Sunday family descendants.
John Sunday, Jr. (1838-1925) was a very successful African American business contractor, community leader and politician in Pensacola. He served on the Pensacola City Council between 1878-1881 and 1884-1885, also representing Escambia County in the Florida House of Representatives in 1874.
The plaza was renamed in honor of John Sunday, Jr. in 2021 after City Council unanimously approved a recommendation from Mayor Robinson for the renaming. A granite base with a bronze plaque honoring Sunday was also placed in the plaza on the north end of City Hall to highlight some of his many accomplishments.
A native of the Pensacola Bay Area and son of an enslaved woman, Sunday enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Civil War with the 6th Corps d’Afrique Infantry and 78th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry, rising to the rank of First Sergeant. After the war, Sunday returned to Pensacola, became a customs inspector for the Port of
Pensacola, and later entered the construction business.
He is credited with leading the business development in Historic Belmont DeVilliers, and is also known for building many homes in Pensacola and establishing an orphanage. Sunday once owned the land now occupied by City Hall and in 1891, he donated the property for nearby St. Joseph Catholic Church.