LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The Bradfield Center celebrated Black History Month by sharing their own story on Sunday.
The idea for the Bradfield Community Center was first conceived in the 1930s when there were few places for African Americans in Lima to go for recreation. The gathering place got its start in a small home before beginning the process of establishing its current Collett Street location in 1948. In the decades since the community center has hosted well-known guest speakers and expanded its programming to include more services like educational and career resources for local youth. For many, coming to "The Brad" is a family tradition.
"We have a gentleman here today that's speaking that's 90 years old that came to Bradfield when it first opened its doors in this facility in 1949. One of the things we talk about is that ancestry, like people that are here today, their moms and dads were the forefathers of this place, so it's keeping that legend going on," explained Chris Jackson, the executive director of the Bradfield Community Center.
Jackson adds that while the Bradfield Center started out as a space for the black community, it has grown into a place for people of all backgrounds to enjoy.
