Zellie L. Riley was a Parramore tailor whose shop, Made to Measure, was located at 571 West Church Street.
Riley was an agent for change.
He was a founding member of the Orlando Negro Chamber of Commerce, and later its President and Secretary. The organization was seen as a conduit between the Black community and the city’s white establishment.
The Chamber raised money for many charitable causes including the Red Cross, Community Chest, and the Carver Court Day Nursery, as well as the treatment and elimination of infantile paralysis, and tuberculosis.
Under Riley’s direction, the chamber started a local radio program in 1948 for Black children called “Birthday Parade” in a time when Black media representation was slim.
Mayor William Beardall requested Riley’s assistance in recruiting the first Black police officer to serve Orlando. Riley put forth Richard Arthur Jones and Belvin Perry Sr., both of whom were ultimately sworn in.
Riley was appointed to Mayor Bob Carr’s Interracial Advisory Committee and the Human Relations Commission that succeeded it.
Zellie L. Riley was murdered in his home on September 20, 1984.
To honor Z.L. Riley, in 1977, the original Z.L. Riley Park was located on S. Parramore Avenue, underneath the State Road 408 overpass. It was later beautified by artists in 1997.
In 2010 the park was expanded and moved a few yards to the south, but art was still a fundamental part of its character. The park features mosaics that were constructed by Parramore Kidz Zone youth, reflecting Riley’s contributions to the community and African themes, including his portrait at the park’s entrance.