Franklin D. Florence
Heritage Civil Rights Park
Franklin D. Florence
Heritage Civil Rights Park
The City of Rochester named a civil rights heritage site at Baden Park, in honor of Minister Franklin D. Florence. A leader in the community for decades. The well known president of the civil rights group fight following the 1964 Rochester uprising. Florence addressed employment discrimination at Kodak. Minister Florence encouraged people in the community to keep telling their stories and keep fighting in a non-violent way.
The idea of a local Civil Rights Heritage Site was inspired by a visit to the Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, Alabama during our Race Convoy in April, 2017. Our own Civil Rights Heritage Site, commemorating the lives of local civil rights activists, will allow the Black community to find its own voice, in the telling of its own story.
The Black Community Focus Fund family offers their deepest condolences to the family of Min. Franklin D. Florence on his most recent passing.
Min. Florence is cherished for his incredible work of racial justice and equity in the Rochester community. We believe that his leadership in taking on Kodak for employment opportunities for the Black community is one of the staple actions that made way for the emergence of a Black middle class in Rochester. Without the employment and economic opportunities gained for Black members of this community through his work from the F.I.G.H.T. organization, many families would still be living at or below the poverty line.
It is fitting that in 2022, SPARC (Spiritus Christi Anti Racism Coalition) and BCFF (the Black Community Focus Fund) joined forces and decided to name the forthcoming outdoor Civil Rights Park after him. The Franklin D. Florence Civil Rights Park which will be located at Baden Park on Upper Falls Blvd, will feature his work and many other local freedom fighters who engaged in the Black Freedom Struggle for justice and equity in our community.
This week we lost a giant who will always be fondly remembered for years to come.
~ Rev. Myra Brown
The idea of a local Civil Rights Heritage Site was inspired by a visit to the Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, Alabama during our Race Convoy in April, 2017. Our own Civil Rights Heritage Site, commemorating the lives of local civil rights activists, will allow the Black community to find its own voice, in the telling of its own story.
The Naming Ceremony
The Naming Ceremony
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Work With Us
Reach out to join our coalition, request support to implement your program, or apply for the Guaranteed Basic Income program
The Black Community Focus Fund is a 501c3 public charitable organization created to provide direct support in housing, education, and economic opportunity to black families in the Rochester community impacted by racism’s history and current manifestations.
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The Black Community Focus Fund is a 501c3 public charitable organization created to provide direct support in housing, education, and economic opportunity to black families in the Rochester community impacted by racism’s history and current manifestations.
Get Involved
Contact Us
Events
Calendar
The Black Community Focus Fund is a 501c3 public charitable organization created to provide direct support in housing, education, and economic opportunity to black families in the Rochester community impacted by racism’s history and current manifestations.
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The Rochester Black Community Focus Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization under EIN 83-1751421. Developed by Vizionality