The Story of Granville Street Park in Oxford Shows the Power of Organizing in Rural NC Communities

Source: Medium

No one would have blamed you for looking at the muddy grass, cracked blacktop, rusty playground equipment, and the two spots where basketball hoops stood more than 20 years ago at Granville Street Park in Oxford, and thinking to yourself, “This park has seen better days.”

In fact, not only would no one blame you for thinking that, but members of the local community would probably invite you to come over and learn about the park’s history and its impact on the community back in its better days. 

They would also likely tell you about how the story of this small park located in one of Oxford’s Black neighborhoods is more than just a tale about growth, decline and renewal, it’s a story about people coming together to organize and wield their combined political power to change their community for the better.Click here to read more about how local Down Home North Carolina members in Oxford figured out how to fund renovations for the park and how they organized, knocked on doors, circulated petitions and got a whole community behind them

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