Last week, The Center for Black Excellence and Culture held its grand opening, and a crowd of around 1,500 people showed up to tour the space and celebrate. On today’s show, host Enjoyiana Nururdin speaks with Ms. Lilada Gee, the co-founder of the Center about the planning, implementation, and legacy of this space that is “by and for the Black community.”

Gee says that there’s no space like the Center in Madison or in the world, as she heard from the consulting firm they worked with. Built in between two Trump presidencies, the Center represents the dedication of Black Madisonians to creating a legacy and honoring local Black history. Much of the early fundraising was done by the Black community, particularly Black women like Frances Huntly-Cooper, Kirbie Mack, and Kesha Bozeman. Gee says she’s proud that the Center will elevate “Black brilliance, innovation, and creativity.”

There are considerable racial disparities for Black Madisonians, which is why Gee and the other leaders of the Center wanted to create a space where people could find hope, make intergenerational connections, and honor the many ethnicities within the Black diaspora. Gee painted a mural for and designed the Black Women’s Wing. And she says that the center will be a place where the Black community can create their own legacies.

The Center will open to the public starting July 1, when folks can start participating in events and workshops.

Lilada Gee is an artist, muralist, healer, preacher, author and international inspirational speaker and podcast host. Drawing upon her experiences as a survivor of both childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence, Lilada founded the non-profit organization—Defending Black Girlhood—that specializes in advocating for Black girls being safe in their homes, schools and communities to live, learn and be loved. Via her Black Woman Heal Collective, she has sparked an international healing movement throughout the African Diaspora that empowers Black women to create safe places for themselves and Black girls to heal. Lilada is a life-long Madison, Wisconsin resident and mother of two awesome adult children–Alexandra and Christian.

Featured image of the exterior of The Center for Black Excellence and culture courtesy of Brian Standing/WORT.

The post A Madison Space By and For the Black Community appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.