It’s National Parks Week, a 9-day-long series of themed days celebrating the USA’s 250th (and NPS’s 110th this year).

Since National Heritage Areas are partnered with NPS, we decided to join the celebration! 🏎️ Saturday, August 23: Kickoff Saturday and Freedom 250 Grand Prix - With the IndyCar race taking place in Washington, DC today, car racing is a staple of American entertainment and competition. But did you know that Lithonia was home to Metro Atlanta’s most popular Black racetrack, the Lithonia Speedway, even preceding NASCAR? Developed by Atlanta dentist Dr. Benjamin F. Anderson, the racetrack and country club attracted Black entertainment seekers en masse in the 1950s and 60s. Stars like Ben Muckles (pictured), Arthur Avery and Cora Miller were frequent participants in races at the site, which also attracted attendees with an attached country club featuring musical acts like B.B. King and Little Richard. Buses ran routes to and from Lithonia from in-town Atlanta neighborhoods like Sweet Auburn, connecting the Black community to this thriving center of community and culture. See an overlay map of an aerial photo of the speedway site with the modern-day landfill that now occupies the land: experience.arcgis.com/experience/854c05fa966845f4b802f7dd9b2352b3 Learn more about the Lithonia Speedway: 1: https://arabiaalliance.org/field-notes/racing-proud-lithonias-forgotten-racecar-history/ 2: https://arabiaalliance.org/field-notes/speedway-and-stockcars-2/ #NationalParksWeek #NPSWeek