Former State Senator Ray Miller’s interest in media and Black newspapers started at an early age. He remembers his family moving to Columbus and all the kids in the neighborhood asking if he wanted to box or play some ball. Sen. Miller said, “My priority was always reading.”
He spent hours.
GuidesArch CityHome & StyleDiningFeaturesWeddingsLegals
Franklin Park’s Glory Days as a Columbus Bastion of Black Joy
This bygone era of cars, congas, bell bottoms and more lives on in the memories of its participants and in the photography of Steve Harrison.
Chris Bournea
It was a fashion show and a car show. It was a place for culture and music and celebration. It was a bastion of Black pride, joy and fellowship, and there was nothing else quite like it in Columbus.
In the late 1960s through the 1970s, Franklin Park was a community gathering place for African Americans every Sunday afternoon, spring through fall. Those who frequented the park during this time describe an atmosphere similar to the classic George Lucas film “American Graffiti” but with afros, hot pants and an all-Black cast.