AFRICAN CULTURAL CENTER USA BUILDING / ACTIVITIES GRANT PROPOSAL

Narrative Section of the Application

Project Title: Establishing the African Cultural Center USA Center

Organization: African Cultural Center USA

Project Director: Kofi Opong-Mensah, PH.D., D.A.B.T.

Grant Program: Grants for Non-Profit Organization

Introduction

The African Cultural Center USA strives to advance international and intercultural understanding and needs a permanent building for its activities. 

The Center also seeks to encourage African-Americans and others to identify with their heritage to enhance their self-esteem and to enable them to strive for discipline, commitment and achievement.

African Cultural Center USA was established in 1991 as a nonprofit organization for the purpose of educating a previously under-served population about Africa. Our local office was first established in Richmond, California and serves the community through arts, crafts, textiles, kente cloth and symbolic design presentations, video shows, games and music. Our facility is a meeting place for community cultural events and a source for research on African issues. African Cultural Center USA also provides resources to support immigrants from Africa, including interpretation services for law enforcement agencies.

The Center maintains a collection of videos and authentic African art, crafts, games, and fabrics. These items are available for exhibition upon request. School children can learn to make African tie dye and kente cloth at the center.

The center provides African cultural dance troupes to perform for events, including marriage, birth, and death ceremonies. Events are held during Black History month, during Kwanzaa holidays and other special holidays. Individuals from the Center will visit schools in the San Francisco Bay to tell African stories, perform African drumming, and provide general information to the students about African history and culture.

Regional Context

The City of Richmond is located in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area in West Contra Costa County. Major nearby Bay Area cities and 

employment centers include: the City of Oakland, 9 miles to the south; the City of San Francisco, 17 miles west; and the City of San Jose, 50 miles south.

Richmond’s land mass forms a promontory that stretches into the San Francisco and San Pablo bays. This shoreline defines a significant portion of the City’s borders to the north, west and south.

Neighboring San Francisco and Marin County provide attractive backdrops from Richmond across the Bay. The cities of El Cerrito, San Pablo and Pinole as well as unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County border Richmond to the north and east; and the Berkeley Hills, San Pablo and Sobrante ridges frame the eastern edge of the City El Sorbrante.

City of Richmond – Profile

Physical Characteristics

Total area: 55.9 square miles

Latitude & longitude: 37.93 degrees north, 122.34 degrees west

Shoreline: 32 miles

Highest point: 1,156 feet

Lowest point: sea level

Elevation: 50 feet

Source: City of Richmond

Population Trends                  1980               1990                2000               2010

Total population                     74,676            86,700             99,216            103,701

Period growth                         16.1%            14.4%              4.5%

Source: 1980-2010 Census

Population Characteristics           population                              percent of total

One race                                            97,888                                    94.4%

– White                                              32,590                                    31.4%

– Black or African American            27,542                                    26.6%

– American Indian                             662                                         0.6%

– Asian                                               13,984                                    13.5%

– Hawaiian & Pacific Islander            537                                         0.5%

– Some other race                              22,573                                    21.8%

Two or more races                            5,813                                      5.6%

Hispanic or Latino                            40,921                                    39.5%

White not Hispanic or Latino                       17,769                                    17.1%

Source: 2010 Census (Table id: dp-1, dataset: 2010 demographic profile sF)

Growth Projections                2000      2010                2020               2030    % change (2000-2030)

Population                              99,216    105,000          118,700           132,600 33.6%

Households                            34,625     36,940            41,930             47,320 36.7%

Jobs                                        39,250      40,660            54,000             64,120 63.4%

Source: Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) projections 2009

Age Composition

Median age:                           34.8

Preschool (under 5):               7.4%

School age (5-24):                  27.5%

Adults (25-44):                       29.7%

Middle age (45-64):               25.2%

Senior (65+):                          10.2%

Source: 2010 Census (Table ID: DP-1, Dataset: 2010 Demographic Profile SF)

Richmond Today

The City of Richmond intends to realign its land use and development pattern to reflect the community’s distinct history, active neighborhoods, Bay Area location, and sense of community. Richmond’s new development strategy focuses on providing higher-density and mixed-use development in urban transportation corridors and in key nodes throughout the City. It promotes sustainable development patterns that expand mobility options, support a diverse, multi-ethnic and multigenerational community, protect the natural environment and recognize its historical and cultural resources.

Due to the poverty from which many of its residents come, the opportunities to participate in humanities and cultural programs are limited. The ACCUSA is committed to providing our students and community members access to programs that promote awareness of the diverse cultures found within our region, as well as around the world.

ACCUSA has a vibrant history of providing an array of humanities and cultural programming and our students and community members actively attend and support our existing programs. However, as local economies become more globally interdependent, the need for additional public awareness and dialogue is increasingly important.

Unfortunately, ACCUSA’s ability to meet the growing need is limited by the lack of physical space and coordinated programming effort. In response to the National Endowment of Humanities’ Cultures initiative, we are requesting funds to purchase and  renovate a building, as well as establish an endowment in order to create an Intercultural Center at ACCUSA, which will allow us to strengthen and expand our humanities and cultural programming.

ACCUSA is committed to general education that provides students with a basis for life-long learning and respect for diversity. We anticipate offering arts and crafts courses, dancing, remediation studies for students.

There is one full time worker and more than 15 volunteers who help with the center’s activities.

ACCUSA utilizes a sizeable physical plan and dedicated educational space to provide student access.

Student and community learning and engagement is supported by a vibrant community with a collegiate atmosphere that includes extensive co-curricular and extra-curricular activities on and with clubs, classes, internships, cooperative education, and travel opportunities usually available only at universities or private institutions.

ACCUSA believes that, ultimately, all of its resources are dedicated to engaging and serving students and communities.

The Humanities and Cultural Awareness

A report issued in 2007 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities reaffirmed the significance of the humanities as one of the Essential Learning Outcomes that are keys to work, life and citizenship. The foundation of a liberal education rests on knowledge of science, mathematics, social science, the arts and humanities. In addition to disciplinary knowledge, many of the skills enumerated in this report, inquiry, analysis, written and oral communication, ethics, intercultural competency, and civic mindedness, are gained through the study of humanistic subjects.

The important principles at the Center include: Firstly, knowledge must be connected with choice and action and recommends that every student/ citizen engages in some form of experiential learning. The second principle focuses on fostering civic, intercultural, and ethical learning, which emphasizes personal and social responsibility in every field of study.

ACCUSA has already embraced these principles and they are best summarized by the Center’s

 mission statement that through exceptional, dynamic living and learning environments, ACCUSA dedicates itself to individual student achievement, diversity, global citizenship, and community vitality. ACCUSA recognizes the importance of learning goals and outcomes that include citizenship, skills and professional competence which are crucial to a diverse workforce.

Richmond and the state of California are populations with significant racial diversity. ACCUSA strives to provide an environment that supports all learners and respects the diversity they bring by preparing students to encounter the global environment outside.

Richmond, California, values diversity and sees it as a Center’s responsibility to the larger community.

In its mission documents, ACCUSA addresses diversity and presents the Center’s function in a multicultural society as well as basic strategies for addressing diversity. The mission statement makes explicit reference to “diversity” and “global citizenship” and an enduring value of “Diversity and Inclusion”: “We promote equal access to cultural services and programs. We model civility, mutual respect, and appreciation of differences. We offer a welcoming, safe, and inviting campus community and dedicate resources to provide an attractive, collegiate environment that supports learning.”

ACCUSA’s dedication to diversity is also underscored by the various resources that support the international student program, the extensive multicultural programming, study-abroad opportunities, and student clubs that promote diverse cultures.

Strengths

ACCUSA has the distinction of being one of the leaders among the African cultural programs in the nation.

Because of the work of students and volunteers, the ACCUSA has a significant cultural impact on the community, and intends to offer a multitude of well-attended programs every year on a wide range of subjects including showcases, student-led panels on religious diversity, multilingual poetry readings, an international film series, and guest speakers through our Writer’s Series, International Studies Activities.

ACCCUSA has hosted dance, music and other artists exhibitions. ACCUSA supports experiential learning through travel and multicultural experiences. Each year, ACCUSA will help students have multiple opportunities to significantly expand how and where they learn to demonstrate the linkages between curricular and co- curricular activities that support inquiry, practice, creativity, and social responsibility. In addition to the traditional classroom work, students also will get the chance to participate in a range of co-curricular activities to encourage personal and professional development and build upon their general education foundation.

Challenges

However, a continuing frustration from presentations and visiting lecturers and artists is the lack of any meaningful, structured follow-up which could lead to further inquiry and engagement.

First, and foremost, there is a lack of dedicated, physical space in Richmond, CA, or elsewhere available for sustained and/or coordinated activities. Currently, most intercultural programming consists of one to two days of events because of the limited availability of appropriate venues in Richmond, CA. It is very time intensive to set up and take down complicated exhibits and often there is not sufficient amount of time for people to fully enjoy the cultural experience.

Secondly, there is a lack of coordinated effort by the various organizers which minimizes the impact of the individual humanities and multicultural programs.

Often, there are events that complement one another but are unknowingly scheduled during different months due to lack of communication and coordination.

Finally, both the limited amount of space and coordinated effort contribute to the loss of continuity. A program that is well attended may be discontinued when the particular sponsor/organizer retires or leaves the organization. This often means that all of the information and associated program materials are lost in the shuffle and if there is a renewed interest in reviving the program, it must be rebuilt from scratch.

The Cultural Center

A cultural center in Richmond, CA, would be a visible testament to the ACCUSA’s mission of global diversity. Although our community is small, heterogeneous we will welcome international and minority students from all over the world. In addition, we will draw a significant population of Hispanic and Native American students from within in the region.

Given the physical limitations of the ACCUSA, there has never been a “home” where these cohort groups could gather for shared activities. Ideally, this Center would be recognized by all students, faculty, staff and community members as a setting where diverse groups and individuals are invited to join in the exchange of ideas. We envision a yearly calendar dedicated to particular national themes such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, etc. as well as more timely programs which grow out of current events, e.g. the politics surrounding the passage of the Dream Act which affects members of our own community. The demographics of our changing international student population would also have a great influence on programming and displays.

A cultural center would be the ideal venue to supplement the valuable events that the ACCUSA presents to the community.

Such programming could take the form of featuring relevant exhibits and resources and, most importantly, sponsoring guided discussions which grow out of the ideas and interests generated by the presentations. The five primary goals with associated activities and outcomes are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1: Major Goals, Activities and Outcomes.

Year One

In the initial year of the Challenge grant, the primary effort will focus on raising direct funds to purchase and renovate a residential/commercial home located on 2400 MacDonald Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804 which is up for sale, or a comparable building.

The 2400 MacDonald Avenue building is a Retail Sub Type: Bank Status: Existing Year Built: 1965; Building Size: 6,350 SF Land Area: .52 Ac (22,499 SF); For Sale Price: $795,000

Parking: 33 Surface spaces are available; Features: Bus Line

The building is across the street from Richmond Civic Center, which has recently undergone extensive remodeling and within walking distance to BART. This site is located approximately 20 blocks West of the new MacDonald 80 Retail Center, anchored by Target store.

This space is ideal for hosting receptions, informal gatherings and cultural center activities. Renovations to the main floor would consist largely of fixture updates and lighting upgrades to the bathroom, kitchen and dining room areas.

The building will substantially be renovated to open the floor plan by removing non-load bearing walls to provide a gallery-like space for exhibits of artwork, photography, artifacts, and other visual displays.

Contingent upon zoning and engineering approval, ACCUSA will remodel this area to include sound-proofing to accommodate musical performances, ADA accessibility and additional improvements needed.

Finally, during the first year we will conduct a survey of existing humanities and cultural programs on and off the ACCUSA site in order to create a comprehensive calendar of events and identify additional partners. A dialogue with the various groups will be initiated and additional coordination will occur as we move forward. Based on the feedback, we will further refine the Year Two calendar of events and develop an extensive outreach and advertising plan for the inaugural year of the Center’s programs.

Year Two

The focus of the second year will shift from renovation and development to refinement and implementation. We have already identified four monthly themes to be implemented once the renovations are complete. In the fall semester, the Cultural Center will host activities related to Hispanic Heritage Month (mid-September to mid-October) and Native American Heritage Month (November). During the spring semester, the two monthly themes presented will be Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March). These four themes were selected based upon existing programs and events that were previously provided at the Center.

Exhibits

The Exhibits will be displayed on the floor of the Cultural Center and will feature artwork, photographs, artifacts, essays and other visual displays. The exhibits may contain student and local professional work, as well as collections from local and regional museums. Each exhibit will focus on a specific topic related to the month-long theme. The purpose of the visual exhibits would be to engage both adults and children in learning about historical themes relevant to their contemporary experience and guiding them to an awareness of the values at work in the themes being explored.

Speaker Series

One or two speakers will be invited to ACCUSA to examine a topic related to the monthly theme. The actual presentation will be held on site or at the City of Richmond, CA, auditorium to accommodate a larger audience.

However, “Meet the Speaker” and pre- and post-discussions will take place at the Cultural Center. The smaller, more intimate setting will foster dialogue and exchange of ideas.

The Cultural Center will partner with the Writers Series to ensure both programs are maximizing their resources and reaching the largest audience as possible.

Coffee & Conversation

In addition to the formal speaker series, an informal “Coffee and Conversation” event will be held on the third Thursday of the month. The monthly informal discussion group will be led by a rotating group of individuals who select a short reading, with the guidance of Cultural Center’s members, from perspectives reflected in the Humanities, such as History, Literature, Philosophy, etc. We would also draw on scholars from our institution as well as the rich pool of accomplished individuals in our region.

Activities

The fourth component of the month-long themes is a social activity that highlights some aspect of the culture. For example, during Native American Heritage Month, the Cultural Center will co-host a traditional meal that is indigenous to the Native Americans. Other examples are poetry readings, musical performances or dance recitals which represent some feature of the culture. A discussion of the influence of the performance will be an integral part of the program.

Additional Programming

In addition to the four month-long themes, the Center will host an array of one-day to one-week programs. Examples include International Education Week, World AIDS Day, Ramadan, Lunar New Year, Holocaust Remembrance, Jazz Music Festival, etc. As well as the formal themes, the Cultural Center will explore the possibility of initiating a “Story Corp” project that will focus on our growing international student population and their impact on our community.

Subsequent Years

In future years, one to two additional monthly “themes” will be developed with the intent of ultimately hosting three monthly intercultural programs per semester. We will also increase our focus on expanding existing single-day events to several days (up to one week).

Finally, a concerted effort will be made to establish a “Resident Scholar/Intern” program. The Cultural Center will host a Resident Scholar/Intern for a period of time ranging from

one semester to an entire academic year. It is our intent to develop partnerships with colleagues at other institutes for higher education who would be interested in sending a graduate student to ACCUSA. The Resident Scholar/Intern, as part of their graduate studies, will research, develop, and implement the programming for the Cultural Center during their stay.

Table 2: Example of Month-long “Themes”

Organization and Collaborations

Kofi Opong-Mensah, Ph.D. will serve as the Project Director. He brings a wide-range of experiences to the Cultural Center as the current President and Founder of ACCUSA.

Since 1977, the Executive President of the Center USA, Dr. Kofi Opong-Mensah has been involved with comparable programs at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The staff is very knowledgeable, reliable and experienced about African culture. The Executive President has solely provided most of the funds to support the Center since its inception.

The Center serves over one thousand people in the community every year. There is no adequate space for the staff, volunteers or customers at the Center. Students will have an opportunity to take field trips into the community and to partner with an American student to learn more about each other’s cultures. In addition, Kofi has served on the ACCUSA for twenty years and is actively engaged in furthering ACCUSA’s reputation as one of the leaders in the international/intercultural arena.

A Multicultural Program Coordinator would be hired to serve alongside Kofi. The Coordinator should have experience working with diverse population and has traveled extensively around the world. The coordinator will work closely with Kofi to develop the Cultural Center’s programmatic content.

Professor C.K. Ladzekpo will serve as a consultant for the project.   Prof. Ladzekpo serves as Director, African Music Program at University of California at Berkeley (1973 – Present), Artistic Director, World Arts West (2008 to Present), Co-Artistic Director, San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, World Arts West (2003 to Present), Director of West African Music and Dance Ensemble (East Bay Center for the Performing Arts) (1975 – Present).

Mr. C. K. Anku will serve as Program Coordinator. He graduated from the University of Ghana School of Performing Arts with B.F.A. Dance Studies and worked with East Bay Center for Performing Arts from 2009 to the present.

The City of Richmond Mayor or other prominent members with funding raising expertise of the City will lead ACCUSA’s fundraising efforts. Please see the “Fundraising” section for additional details.

A consultant would be hired to serve as the international program coordinator and will assist Kofi and the Multicultural Coordinator with program development, implementation and archival work. In addition, efforts would be undertaken to engage faculty from the Humanities and other disciplines at U.C. Berkeley to participate and provide additional resources.

As mentioned earlier, we will seek additional funding and partnerships to host a “Resident Scholar/Intern” as frequently and consistently as possible. The scholar will live in the furnished living quarters on the second floor and will work closely with ACCUSA staff to develop a variety of activities related to their specific area of interest.

Partnerships

In addition to working with groups in Richmond, the Cultural Center will establish partnerships with the following organizations and will coordinate efforts to present high-quality and informative programs:

• University of California at Berkeley
• Immigrant Advocacy Group, nonprofit organization
• University of California at San Francisco
• Community Colleges: Contra Costa, College of Marin
• East Bay Center for the Performing Arts
• World Arts West

The establishment of the Cultural Center in Richmond, CA, with dedicated, physical space will solidify and continue to build upon our foundation of excellence in the area of educational, cultural, and social programs. The interpretive exhibits, speaker series, and other activities will serve as forums for communication, discussion and understanding of cultural issues and provide our students and the entire community the opportunity to engage in lifelong learning in the Humanities.

The dedicated space will also allow us to expand our existing partnerships and initiate new collaborations that will result in new program development. The collaborative programming will increase public awareness of global cultures and promote appreciation and awareness for a truly intercultural and inclusive community. ACCUSA is the natural place where students and the community can gather to discuss humanities topics, and we believe the Cultural Center will become a recognized model of intercultural exchange for our region.

In addition, we want to transcend the collective memories of individuals who have been involved in spearheading our leadership in the Humanities. We want to preserve what we have already done and enable exciting new possibilities. A designated Cultural Center located within in Richmond or close proximity to Richmond would permit us to do that. It would give us archival space as well as serve as an inspiration for future programming. The depository of programmatic information would be accessible and regularly utilized by ACCUSA and our partners. This would enhance our long-term capacity to engage our community continually in important intercultural discussions.

Finally, we believe that the Cultural Center will be a valuable asset when recruiting and retaining minority and international students in the colleges and universities. Student groups will be encouraged to utilize the facility for their club meetings, as well as hosting informal gatherings to meet and interact with other students. We believe the Cultural Center will create a sense of belonging for all of our students and the community and especially for our growing population of minority and international students, who sometime struggle with adjusting to life in America.

Additionally, kindergartners from Nystrom School will continue to visit the Center to listen to stories from Africa, hear the beats from African drums as well as answers to their questions. Travel agencies, churches, Art institutes, and the public will continue to consult the Center on African affairs. Authentic African art, crafts, games, among others will continue to be displayed at the Center. Classes on how to make African tie and dye and kente will continue to be presented at the Center. Furthermore, the Center offers free tutorials for students in science, mathematics, computers and arts.

Assessment

A variety of assessment tools will be developed during the creation of the Center and will include both quantitative and qualitative benchmarks. Some preliminary data has already been collected for existing programs and will be used to establish baseline expectations. Examples of assessment include:

Quantitative Benchmarks (Performance Measures)

• Four new or expanded collaborative series of programming will disseminate intercultural information within four years.
• 50% of the Cultural Center’s new and existing programs will have a 10% increase in attendance over four years.

Quantitative Benchmarks (Indicators of Success)

• Ethnic and other diverse groups in the area will become more visible.
• Knowledge of and enthusiasm for the ACCUSA’s intercultural programs will increase.
• A network of connections among our collaborators and community members will become stronger and more widespread.
• At least one ACCUSA Resident Scholar/Intern will be hosted by the Cultural Center within seven years.

Fundraising and Budget Plan

The African Cultural Center USA was established in 1991 as a nonprofit organization for the purpose of educating a previously under-served population about Africa. Our local office was first established in Richmond, California and serves the community through arts, crafts, textiles, kente cloth and symbolic design presentations, video shows, games and music. As a charitable organization under section 501 (c)(3) of the IRS code, its principal purposes are raising, receiving, managing, and distributing private funds for endeavors that support and enrich ACCUSA.

Today, the focus of ACCUSA includes producing an ongoing revenue stream for the Cultural Center. Among the fund raising projects to engage include:

• Annual giving — The “Annual Campaign,” an effective, well-organized annual giving program consists of perennial activities including an Alumni Scholarship Drive (phonathon and direct mail) and a fall solicitation of area individuals, businesses, corporations, and organizations.

Fundraising for the Cultural Center

With an established fundraising program, the ACCUSA is confident in its abilities to raise the funds necessary to fulfill the NEH’s requirement of fundraising match (3:1) with the Cultures grant.

Our plan calls for a $2,000,000 budget. We believe we can purchase the building for $795,000 and it will take another $109,958 to renovate the facility to meet our needs. We also want to create an endowment to help generate ongoing funds for operating costs associated with the Cultural Center. We will have the ability to match endowment money with the state funds and will earmark any remaining funds for this purpose.

Exemption

The breakdown from various funding sources is anticipated as follows:

Total                           Non Federal $*          NEH/Federal $**

Building purchase      $795,000                    530,000                                  265,000

Renovations               109,958                      73,305.33                               36,652.67

Endowment                90,000                        60,000*                                  30,000

Budget Form              1,005,042                   836694.67                              168,347.33

$2,000,000                  $1,500,000                $500,000

*Funds include private donations and state matching funds (the actual dollars raised by ACCUSA may vary).

**Actual expenditures may not break out in this exact manner. We may purchase the home/building with donor money and use grant funds for the renovations, as we may need to act sooner so as not to lose an option on buying the home that is perfectly situated across the street from the Richmond Auditorium and City offices.

Heritage Month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, etc. as well as more timely programs which grow out of current events, e.g. the politics surrounding the passage of the Dream Act which affects members of our own community.  The demographics of our changing international student population would also have a great influence on programming and displays. This Cultural Center looks forward to have its first Eid ul-Fitr marking the end of Ramadan. Imagine the significance of such an event in the Richmond community.

DISSEMINATION

A plaque with the names of contributors will be displayed at the entrance of the building. Major contributors will have rooms and/ or sections of rooms named after them. Additionally, there will be extensive advertisements in the mass media to acknowledge the contributions of individuals or organizations.

BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY

The benefits to the community at-large include programs that stimulate the youth to redirect their energy towards constructive life enhancing activities. The educational materials will also stimulate the community at-large to know more about Africa.

 Chart Outlining the Major Milestones for the Building/ Activities: