King Arts Complex

This week’s History of Black Columbus photo series features Champion Junior High School, a longstanding symbol of pride and identity on the East Side of Columbus. Champion Middle School, located in the historic Mount Vernon area, carries a layered and deeply human history that begins in 1909 with its founding as Champion Avenue School. It would become the first elementary school built specifically to teach the Black community in Columbus. The school was located at 1270 Hawthorn Avenue. Built as one of the city’s first fireproof schools, it stood solid and deliberate, its brick exterior warm under the sun and its interior alive with the soft scratch of pencils and the murmur of young voices. Though never legally designated as an all-Black school, it became one because it stood in the heart of a growing African American community. Segregation at Champion was de facto, yet it brought Black students and Black teachers together in a shared space where education, identity, and expectation were closely intertwined.

By September 5, 1922, the school had become a junior high, expanding again in 1928 as the neighborhood continued to grow. Inside, the rhythm of daily life was steady and purposeful. Footsteps echoed along polished floors, classroom doors opened and closed with quiet regularity, and the voices of teachers carried authority shaped by both care and resolve. Leadership, especially in the persons of the early principals from 1910 through desegregation, made the school a powerful force within the community. Their presence could be felt in the structure of assemblies, the order of classrooms, and the expectations placed on every student who passed through. Yet it was the teaching staff that sustained this legacy. The founding faculty created an environment rooted in discipline, cultural understanding, and belief in the potential of every child. Without them, the school could not have become the anchor it was for generations of families.

In 2008, the original building was demolished and replaced, but the spirit of Champion endured as it transitioned into a modern middle school serving grades six through eight at 284 North 22nd Street within Columbus City Schools. Today, its halls reflect a different era, with a more diverse teaching staff and a structured focus on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports through its ROAR framework. Still, echoes of the past remain in the way dedicated educators approach their work, with an understanding of the school’s historic role in the Black community and the needs of the urban child. While no widely documented nationally famous alumni are recorded, Champion’s true legacy lives in the countless students shaped by its classrooms. It is a legacy you can almost feel, in the quiet determination of its history, the strength of its leadership, and the enduring belief that education could transform lives.

This week’s History of Black Columbus photo series highlights Marion Franklin High School, a longstanding symbol of pride and identity on the city’s South Side. Established in 1953, the school is rooted in the Marion Franklin neighborhood located at 1265 Koebel Road. As families increasingly made this area home during the 1970s and 1980s, the neighborhood grew into a vital center of life in Columbus. For generations, Marion Franklin has been more than a place of education. It has served as a cultural anchor where community connections were strengthened and a shared sense of identity and belonging was cultivated, reflecting the enduring spirit of the South Side.

Like many areas across Columbus, the South Side experienced the effects of white flight, disinvestment, and shifting public perception during this period. These changes often brought racial and economic tension, especially as resources became uneven across the city. Despite these challenges, Marion Franklin remained a source of stability and pride. Students, families, and educators cultivated a strong internal culture rooted in resilience, discipline, and community accountability, reinforcing the school’s role as a cornerstone of the neighborhood.

Marion Franklin’s legacy is reflected in both achievement and influence. The school has produced notable alumni including Ken Lanier, who played in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, Eddie Milner, who played in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, Herb Williams, Ohio State Buckeye and longtime NBA player, Mike Tatum, a four time indoor football league champion, John Williamson, and Trelaine McKinney, actor. Alongside these individual accomplishments, Marion Franklin has maintained strong athletic programs in football, basketball, and track that have brought recognition and pride to the South Side. More than any single name, it is this collective legacy that defines Marion Franklin High School as a lasting symbol of strength, history, and community life in Columbus.

This week’s History of Black Columbus photos spotlight the rich history of Milo-Grogan. It is a historic neighborhood just northeast of downtown Columbus, Ohio, formed in the late 1870s from the communities of Milo and Grogan. “Milo” was named after Milo Streets, who operated a brickyard near St. Clair Avenue and Third Avenue, while “Grogan” came from John Patrick Grogan, a grocer and postmaster on Cleveland Avenue. Industrial growth fueled the area’s development, with major employers like Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, Kilbourne & Jacobs, and Berry Brothers Bolt Works attracting workers. Cleveland Avenue became the main commercial corridor linking the two, along with streets like East 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 11th Avenues. Early on, the neighborhood was home to immigrant populations, including Italian families who helped shape its culture alongside later African American migrants, making Milo-Grogan an important part of Columbus’s Black working-class history.

In the mid-20th century, Milo-Grogan became more closely tied to the Black community as segregation and redlining limited housing options elsewhere. Families built strong networks around local institutions, though the construction of Interstate 71 and the decline of industry later displaced residents and reduced population. Notable residents include Jim Cleamons, an NBA coach and former player; Charles Thompkins, a longtime community leader and founder of “Milo Fest”; Rodney Kent, Sheila Castellarin, and Gail Brown, who helped preserve neighborhood history through oral storytelling. Today, Milo-Grogan is served by Columbus City Schools, with boundaries often split by I-71. Students typically attend Weinland Park Elementary and Dominion Middle School on the west side, Windsor STEM Academy on the east side, and Linden-McKinley STEM Academy for middle and high school, with Whetstone High School also serving parts of the neighborhood.

Today, Milo-Grogan reflects both its industrial past and ongoing revitalization efforts. Landmarks like the Milo Arts center, located in the former Milo Public School, and the historic Columbus Railway, Power & Light office on Cleveland Avenue remain key symbols of its heritage. Community spaces such as the Milo-Grogan Recreation Center continue to support residents through programs and events. Bounded by rail corridors and Interstate 670 and located near Italian Village, Weinland Park, and Linden, Milo-Grogan remains a resilient neighborhood with deep roots in Columbus’s Black community and a continuing story of reinvestment.