Walker County African American Memorial Park

Walker County was organized in 1833 and proudly displays its antebellum and Civil War history existing 1833 to 1865. This love of the antebellum and Civil War era leaves Walker County void of the open expression and display of cultural diversity, and void of a sense of inclusion of people of color beyond enslavement and the removal of the Cherokees. Actually, the County is almost void of historical expression beyond circa 1865, thus leaving a vacuum of approximately 158 years of historical expression and accomplishments. Upcoming multi-cultural generations, especially the Millennial and Generation Z community, find this void of diversity disturbing. Therefore, Walker County finds it difficult to retain young families, and businesses find it difficult to retain employees. WCAAHAA feels that the antebellum and Civil War era representation in far Northwest Georgia is highly important to the historical fabric of the USA. This includes the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, the USA’s first National Military Park. It is located partly in Catoosa and Walker counties. However, far northwest Georgia counties are recognizing that the younger generations place a high value on family leisure time, open parks, open spaces, cultural diversity, inclusion and non-traditional methods to educate their children. Young generations wish spaces where one may celebrate the coming together of diverse people to create productive and enjoyable non-monolithic environments. Such environments assist parents and teachers in fostering cultural acceptance and a non-confrontational means of teaching contributions made by minorities to the development of the United States of America. Solution: Breaking ground with a $50,000 grant from the Roper Corporation. As previously stated, WCAAHAA partnered with the Walker County Government to develop the Walker County African American Museum and Cultural Center. Also, we are partners with the La Fayette’s City Government and are developing the Walker County African American Memorial Park. The museum and cultural center is very fortunate to receive grants from the Georgia Arts Council, the American Historical Association, the Georgia Council for the Humanities, the Lyndhurst Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. However, those organizations are not providing grants for brick and mortar projects at this time. The City of La Fayette has provided a half acre, city block on West Villanow Street for the memorial park. There was a car wash on this lot cleared by the City. Also, LaFayette will provide most of the prepping of the lot to receive the newly designed park (see attachments). Furthermore, West Villanow Street is located near the Mars Theater District. This district is scheduled for revitalization that will include modern restaurants (several are in place); a tourist passenger train stop and a walking city tour trail with widen sidewalks and the African American Memorial Park. The park will be for the enjoyment of Walker County residents and tourists. It will include six or seven 4’x 6”x 8’ etched black granite monument panels, a water feature, flowers, greenery, picnic tables, benches and open spaces. People will be able to hold family gatherings, special events in the park or simply rest and eat during their work lunch hour. The panels will be etched with the faces of multi-cultural and multi-generational figures. Also, those monuments will highlight the accomplishments of Appalachian African Americans of Walker County beyond enslavement. African Americans of the region were able to form strong, close knit communities, churches, cemeteries, business, schools and civic organizations in the face of segregation and adversity. Visitors will be able to relax and enjoy an educational experience in an environment of peace and tranquility. The park will complement Walker County’s African American Museum as the Legacy Museum complements the United States National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery Alabama. Park visitors with be amazed with the beauty of the scenery and the stories being told in the park, such as Walker County’s Montford Point Marine, Pearl Harbor Veteran; an international opera star and numerous of accomplishments that one may think are impossible by Appalachian African Americans. This project will not only support the retention of young families and economic growth in Walker County; this project is especially important to Walker County’s community of African Americans; because, this is the first time Walker County is making an effort to take the African American community heritage beyond enslavement, and to exhibit that heritage in places of the main flow of public traffic. How wonderful it will be for Roper to be part of this initiative. It will be amazing to have this initiative as part of Roper’s fifty year celebration of its LaFayette home. Additionally, it is outstanding and amazing that in the Appalachian Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit of four counties with minority populations less than 10%; Roper has a diversity score of 9.9 out of ten with a workforce that is 41% minority. By joining WCAAHAA and their partners in creating a healing and reconciliation community for Roper’s employees and Walker County’s residents; Roper will create a legacy touching lives across the United States. Walker County has weathered the storms of integration and is ready to strengthen its communities with better methods, innovative social changes and creative expressions of inclusion. A park dedicated to those once restricted to the shadows is an extremely bold step for far Northwest Georgia. WCAAHAA, the Walker County community and the park need Roper Corporation to provide the first big boost of support by contributing $50,000 for phase one and placement of the first monument panels. Although, WCAAHAA has the support of the community; we believe Roper’s support on a large scale, will be the catalyst for fast paced increases in public support, donations and purchasing of bricks, benches and other items to memorialize loved ones. Once the public sees the breaking of the ground and the first monuments in place, we feel the park will move rapidly to completion as been true with the development of other parks. This simple park will assists with social change, education, cultural inclusion, economic growth and improvement of LaFayette open spaces. What an excellent way to celebrate Roper’s 50th Anniversary in LaFayette.