Tacoma's Franklin Park Renamed After Rosa Franklin, The State's First Black Woman Senator

Tacoma's Franklin Park has been renamed after Rosa Franklin, Washington DC's first Black woman in the Senate.

Franklin Park, a public park in Tacoma, USA, which was named after the US founding father Benjamin Franklin, has been renamed to honour Rosa Franklin, Washington DC's first African-American woman to serve in the Senate.

As per the sources, Metro Parks' Board of Commissioners in Tacoma unanimously voted on Monday to change the park's name in honour of the senator.

Tired: Ben Franklin

Wired: Sen. Rosa Franklinhttps://t.co/lFyYOGisYF

— Matt Driscoll (@mattsdriscoll) February 23, 2021

Aaron Pointer, Metro Parks board commissioner who is also an African-American, told The News Tribune that the renaming of the park is a gesture to commemorate the important contribution of not only Rosa Franklin, but also the black Tacoma residents in the city's history.

He told, "I really believe that it means a lot to people — and to kids — to see people who look like them represented in the names of parks and schools and other facilities. It gives people inspiration. To some, it might not mean a lot. But to others, it can mean a sense of belonging, and that the city recognizes that our people are a part of the city, and not just something that is disregarded."

The approximately 20-acre park in Central Tacoma was named in honour of Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, but with a controversial history associated with slavery, which he denounced later in life.

Erik Hanberg, the board’s chair, called the change of the park's name a 'win-win' as it would still be known locally as Franklin Park, even though a longer nameplate 'Sen. Rosa Franklin Park' will now adorn the entrance of the park.

“There was an opportunity to take a name from someone who had not been from Tacoma and had died long before the city was founded and replace it with an icon who is also a woman of color,” the chair told a newspaper.

Ninety-three-year old Rosa Franklin admitted at the meeting that she was indeed shocked when she got to know about the honour and appreciated the gesture.

About Rosa Franklin

Rosa Franklin is originally from South Carolina. She moved to Tacoma with her husband in 1954. After a career spanning four decades in nursing, Rosa decided to run for office, and eventually became the first African-American woman to serve as the state's senator, a position which she held from 1993 to 2010.

Furthermore, Rosa Franklin worked tirelessly to build up the community in the city and initiated a number of local projects to ensure equal access to housing and healthcare for all.

Feature Image Credits: Pacific Lutheran University