About Just Folks

Just Folks began 2004 with a group of young men and women who were just sitting around, who came to The Block /The Park every day so they decided to form a group and called it Just Folks!


After a couple of years of providing a food bank, clothes closet and food and fun in the park, Just Folks formed their 501c3 with the help of Dee Williams in 2006. We received a proclamation from Mayor Terry Bellamy in 2009. In 2011, under the leadership of Ceretha (Bubbles) Griffin we adopted Triangle Park.  We also won a Griffin, Education & Publication Award in 2014. Just Folks was placed on the Appalachian Trail in 2015. For many years Just Folks has been hosting community events in the Triangle Park.

The idea for a mural in the park was born out of a collective desire to improve the park and illuminate the beautiful, unseen stories of the area. The Triangle Park Mural is a memorial to history and pays tribute to the love, labor, and stories of Asheville’s historic African-American business district and surrounding Valley Street/East-End neighborhoods.

The project was a collaboration between Just Folks, Curtis James, Ceretha (Bubbles) Griffin, and Linda Jackson, the Asheville Design Center (ADC), Chris Joyner, and Artist/Community-Arts Organizer Molly Must.

Our hope is that a new constellation of community alliances will develop around the park to support Julia McDowell, current sitting President & the Just Folks organization. That it will build on the foundation already laid.

Mission Statement: Coming together in a festive atmosphere trusting in our Lord, we serve to renew old friendships and make new ones, to return to the days of folks helping folks. A community organization willing to help in any way that we can and keep a positive line of communication, to recognize and honor the history of African Americans In the area called THE BLOCK our Main force is to keep” The Block” Triangle park going and to keep Black Heritage alive by having Community events in Triangle Park

Park Times:​​May –September on Saturdays and Sundays 
Upcoming events:   ​May 5, 2018 preforms by the /Eternity Dance Group and music by DJ Goodney
June Ms Quitas’ Kitchen


We are still looking for entertainment on Saturday and Sunday


Julia McDowell President Thanks
justfolksofashevillenc@yahoo.com 828-552-6027 we on Facebook