2023 24 Black Pages FINAL 2 - Flipbook - Page 124
The late D.T. Walton and his family operated one of Macon’s most revered dental practices.
So much so that the Walton Building became a landmark member of Cotton Avenue, a quarter mile
stretches of Black economic power leading into the heart of downtown.
Randalls Funeral Home was owned by the late William P. Randall. The civil rights icon kept
the former Central City Funeral Home on the map by making it mirror what it was for years following
its establishment just before the turn of the 20th century.
Fast forward to 1971, Alex Habersham makes his mark initially as Habersham Records.
Established by Alex Habersham and later sold to his sister Phillis Habersham Malone, it remains open
as one of the oldest record stores in the world. Habersham expanded his family’s business footprint
in 1991 with the establishment of the Macon-Middle Georgia Black Pages. “Leaving a legacy was also
a priority. Entrepreneurship should include that. I am proud that our family is in the process of leaving
a good one in the form of this publication and the record store,” he said.
Creating and carrying on the Black owned family business is still in play. Harmon Construction
and Stafford Construction are examples, as is Harrell’s and Son’s Barber Shop. Harris says keeping
a family presence was essential: “It was important for our family to remain stakeholders here because
Greenwood Bottom runs deep in our being.” This history and the history of other Black owned family
businesses are vital components in the building of a successful Macon to support his point. Without
their level of commitment to succeeding despite the odds, we would not have the city we know and
enjoy today.
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