Celebrating our 55th year, the Columbus Free Press will honor five outstanding community activists and a community organization at our November 2025 Salon and Awards event on Saturday, November 8 from 1:30-4:30pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road. One honoree for the Free Press 2025 Outstanding Community Activist is Paul Becker. Facebook Event.

Paul Becker is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Dayton, where his research focuses on political extremism and violence, and activism in the 21st century.

Beginning with Occupy Columbus he has photographed over 550 protests, marches, rallies, and vigils. Most of these were in Central Ohio, but he has also documented activism in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit, and other cities.

He lives in Central Ohio with his wife, Cathy, an environmental activist, and their two cats.

To quote the blues singer Big Maybelle, “There was a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on” in 1963. It began in January, which marked the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, and President John F. Kennedy hosted a number of prominent African Americans at a reception in the White House–taking great pains to ensure that the famous black entertainer, Sammy Davis Jr., and his white wife, Mai Britt, were not photographed together–and ended with the cessasation of the thirty-day mourning period for the assassinated president.  In between there were more than a dozen incidents of nationwide importance that affected the fight for black freedom in America. Included among them were the Woolworth sit-ins, George Wallace’s stand in the schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama, Malcolm X’s famous speech, Message to the Grass Roots, the Chicago school boycott, the demonstrations in Birmingham, and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.

November 2, 5-7pm
Wells Barn, Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E. Broad Street Columbus, OH 43203

Calling all community gardeners and their supporters. 

Get ready to spice things up! You’re invited to the Taste of the Near East Area Chili Cook-Off Social — a fun evening celebrating great food and great community.

Franklin Park Conseervatory's Growing To Green Team is calling all community gardeners and their supporters to come together for this friendly competition and social gathering. Sample delicious chili recipes, connect with neighbors, and share your love of good food and gardening!

Whether you’re entering your best chili or just coming to taste and cheer, we’d love to see you there.

Scan the QR code in the flyer to RSVP, enter your chili, and sign up to volunteer! Feel free to also use this link:

This article first appeared on the Buckeye Flame.

Ohio’s proposed drag ban received its second hearing Wednesday before members of the House Judiciary Committee.

The hearing featured public testimony in support of the bill from two anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups: Mission America and the Columbus-based Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), which is a primary driver of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the Ohio Statehouse.

This Nov 4, Columbus Mayor Ginther is betting that you won’t read the ballot when voting on the 1.9 BILLION DOLLAR BOND ISSUE. All of the Opportunity City Political Action Committee mailings and commercials CLAIM that it won’t raise your taxes by a single penny. That’s true… because it’s a lot more.

Bond Issue 5 - $27 per $100,000

Bond Issue 6 - $27 per $100,000

Bond Issue 7 - $45 per $100,000

Bond Issue 8 - $49 per $100,000

Bond Issue 9 - $42 per $100,000

$190 total for each $100,000 in home value

Mayor Ginther’s golf partners want MORE OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS so they can buy another condo in Aspen. His wealthy friends, like the Haslams, LOVE FREE MONEY from Columbus tax payers who will foot the bill for cheap “affordable housing.” They get cash grants to pay for new apartments that they can raise rents on every year and become even more rich. THIS ISN’T ABOUT CHARITY. This is pure greed disguised as helping the middle class of Columbus.

Why wasn’t this done in Phase 1 of Zone-In?

Because they wanted expensive hi-rise buildings for the rich more than anything else (makes them more money).