Celebrating 50 Years of the Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
By Renada JaNae Toyer
Liberty City began as a community in need of change and healing. Black neighborhoods had overcome years of segregation, prejudices, underfunded schools, and the loss of cultural havens like Overtown. The young community within the city were left without safe spaces to allow their creativity and aspirations to flow due to poverty and the overwhelming oppression of the streets. A blessing that rose from the ground up was the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, beginning as a set of old army barracks became something more than a building but home to children that are willing to learn, embrace their true selves, and discover the power of art.
The inspiration of the center originated from Marshall L. Davis Sr., a strong believer in art and the power it holds to save lives and create change. His leadership made the center welcoming to each child no matter the color, size, or upbringing. No one feels left behind or not seen, the community gives opportunity for those that felt like it was never possible. The doors of the center made these dreams a reality, creating positive acts of service.
Throughout the years, the center has changed the lives of many who thought they were going to be nobodies. Students who excelled in dance, theater, music, and visual arts, under the teachings of a talented well rounded instructor who has respect for the craft and the children. Dancers learning how to perfect their craft, painters who began sketching on notebook paper, and young singers who are too shy sing their heart out yet they eventually find the courage to stand tall on stage.
Between the 1980s and 1990s, the center became the face of the culture. The alumni of the center carried on the legacy by taking opportunities on Broadway, films, and taking on stages with worldwide artists. Teachers, mentors, and leaders are living proof as to what the center is capable of shaping individuals into talented stars.
The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center is a reminder of the deep rooted history within Miami’s black culture. Black communities have brought the city up with music, tradition, and strength. The center became one of the few landmarks that was dedicated to maintaining its heritage. It was more than just teaching kids how to act, sing, or paint but teaching them about their culture, where they come from, and how their voices need to be amplified.
Within the fifty year mark, the center is the stable of Liberty City. Programs that have undergone downturns, struggles within their neighborhood, and changes that have happened over time, yet their goal has remained the same. The many generations of children who have entered its doors and carrying its heritage and history with them
The Marshall L. Davis Sr African Heritage Cultural Arts Center is way more than just an after school program. It is living proof of how a community doesn’t allow children to go without being acknowledged, allowing their creative minds to flow using it as a power against the weapon of desperation.
A vision of one man fifty years ago became a legacy that will continue to grow for many more decades