Posted on by Maggie

Holland Park Transformation

An map of Holland Park from 1997 shows its location on the west side of Albion Michigan.
Holland Park is the site of the former West Ward School in Albion Michigan. This photo from early 2015 shows a tour of what existed at this site then.
City Council person Lenn Reid and others toured the playground equipment.
Historian Leslie Dick and City Council person Lenn Reid are among those who started a campaign to raise funds to transform Holland Park.
Holland Park was a favorite spot for its basketball courts. On the building next to the courts was a mural by Jerome Washington.
The mural by Jerome Washington had portraits of notable school teachers at West Ward School.
A marker at Holland Park tells the story of the segregated school that once stood at this spot.
Leslie Dick and Lenn Reid were active in their involvement to make the transformation project happen.
Presentations were made to City Council and to potential funders to provide a better playground, and more at Holland Park.
A sign at Holland Park that shows it is one of Albion's large network of public parks.
Part of the process to raise funds for the Holland Park project was to increase public awareness at the Festival of the Forks.
The planners visited the park often to see what was there and needed to be updated or replaced.
Brainstorming sessions involved City Hall and community members.
Albion Youth helped to make presentations of the photos of the park and activities that take place there.
Presentations were made at area churches.
Meetings with key community members took place at City Hall. Here Harry Bonner helps with the strategic planning.

Holland Park in Albion Michigan is the former location of West Ward School. A community group is making strides for an inter-generational gathering place.

Learn more about Holland Park Transformation on the Holland Park Transformation Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/hollandparktransformation

 

An essay by Wes Dick that was posted to Albion College website tells more of the story:

A small town with a rich history, Albion’s story is America’s story. The Holland Park chapters include the Pottawatomie and their removal, the arrival of white settlers, and industrialization and the building of iron foundries which needed workers. Immigrants came from Europe and, as part of the Great Migration, African Americans came from the South. Once African Americans arrived, they were segregated by neighborhood and elementary school. West Ward School became the all-Black elementary school in 1918. Following World War II, Albion’s African American community led a civil rights campaign that culminated in the closing of the “separate but unequal” West Ward School. A park replaced the school. In 1974, the park was named in honor of Robert Holland, Sr., one of Albion’s civil rights leaders.

“The land on which Holland Park stands is ‘sacred ground,’ representing the civil rights struggle to end segregation and to achieve justice. The center plaque in the park says of Robert Holland: ‘He dealt with the physical West Ward in this city in order that others were free to deal with psychological West Wards in their minds.’ Current news reminds us that Martin Luther King’s ‘Dream’ has not been fully realized, giving the Holland Park quotation renewed relevance.

“The efforts led by Albion City Council Member Lenn Reid to transform Holland Park, the FireKeepers and Community Foundation grants for playground restoration, and the timely Albion visit of Ruth Holland Scott, daughter of Robert Holland, Sr., contribute to Albion’s revitalization and provide an opportunity for all of its citizens to better understand their history, which illuminates both American Dreams and the American Nightmares.

“Why is this history important? Knowing community history can instill pride and respect for the accomplishments of those who came before us. History needs to be truthful and the truth sometimes includes racism, segregation, and cruelty. History also includes people who acted with courage, worked hard, and whose dedication made a better world. While the dark side of history is depressing, the noble side of history is inspirational. The Holland Park story includes ‘bad news,’ but we are elevated through the examples of those who fought for justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. was fond of the quote: ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ The Holland Park story reflects this sentiment. The Holland Park Transformation Initiative aspires to discover more of this history and to make it visible and interactive for young and old alike, motivating all of us to strive for justice.”