FRANKLIN, Va. (WAVY) — With no pews, crosses or even a name, parking lot church is how these men worship in Franklin on Friday mornings.
This vacant lot on Main Street used to be the hub of Black pride in Franklin. Decades later, there’s a population that seems out of reach. Linny Britt, who is 68 years old, says the village has been diminished, and his generation takes some responsibility.
“I do believe that we play a part in that, too, because we’ve got built so much fear that sometimes we won’t approach them to talk with them,” Britt said. “You know, they’re reaching out in a certain way, looking for somebody to guide them or to talk with them or just to hold a conversation. And sometimes we have built so much fear inside that we won’t if we see a young man coming down the street, we won’t even say good morning to him.”
Two Franklin natives from different generations, Marshall Rabil, 43, and Dr. Eric Majette, 62, are on track to take back the community.
The Homegrown Harvest Festival will generate funds for the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia from Oct. 4-6.
“I absolutely think Franklin is on the rebound,” Britt said. “If you look at some of the stuff that’s going on in downtown Franklin, now we’ve got coffee shops, you’ve got barber shops that are fun to go to. We’ve got a homegrown Harvest festival, which is coming up. We’re bringing chefs from all over the state. We’re bringing brands and winemakers from all over the state to come and celebrate the bounty of Southampton County.”
Beginning Oct. 5, the Annual Riverfront Soul Festival gets underway by reaching out to those who need a helping hand.
“We’ve given away brand new clothes,” Britt said. “Treasure Hunt is one of our sponsors out of Virginia Beach. We have all types of products we’ve been giving away. Health and wellness will be a part of it. You’ll get free health screenings, including diabetes screening and high blood pressure tests. All types of screenings will be done right here at the festival. So the whole thing is to empower the community and be a blessing to the community.”