Dr. Felton Williams abruptly resigns as President of the African American Cultural Center leaving an iconic void that will be hard to fill.
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EDITORIAL Two years ago, Black community members crowded into the the 8th District's Expo Arts Center to kickoff plans to build an African American Cultural Center. A year prior, 2018, the City of Long Beach announced that it would bring resources to the table.
While still no shovels in the ground, things appeared promising when, at the start of 2020, Dr. Felton Williams took helm of the executive board as its President. At the time, he said that fundraising for the building and its maintenance was his top priority.
Having fundraised for the world renown Disney Concert Hall Music Center his leadership was a confident step in the right direction.
Then came the murder of George Floyd. Scores of local protesters regularly marched Long Beach streets during a summer of 2020 uprise. The Mayor tapped his emergency powers to call in the National Guard. Armed, they stood beside blocks of stores boarded with plywood that local artist transformed into vivid canvases supporting BLM.
With three years of water under the bridge, the cultural Center is still in its planning phase.
So what progress has happened since the two-year timestamp when Black leaders and community members huddled at the Expo Art Center which also houses third-term and Black Councilman Al Austin's field office?
Well, Mayor Garcia ended his State of the City address side-by-side with a Black Lives Matter graphic design. "Long Beach became the first city to declare racism a health crisis," said Councilman Roberto Uranga at a recent California Coastal Commission hearing.
Also Vice Mayor Rex Richardson authored the "Framework for Reconciliation" which according to Richardson has completed the following goals seen in the graphic below.
What hasn't happened is the building of the Long Beach African American Cultural Center.
News of the resignation of Dr. Felton Williams from the Center's executive board may further frustrate whether this Center will ever become a reality for residents.
Meanwhile, Councilwoman Mary Zendejas joined forces with Jessica Quintana, Director of Centro Cha, to direct the City Manager to explore creating a dedicated space for Latino micro-businesses in close proximity to the Downtown Long Beach and waterfront economies.
Notably, Long Beach has already accomplished a Museum of Latin American Art as well as a Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum.
Why Dr. Felton Williams' Resignation Matters
An Army veteran, Dr. Felton Williams is a trusted Black civic leader. Along with having served as President of the NAACP chapter in San Pedro he is known for both his ethical character and a hawk for process. A passion for education, Dr. Williams was a Long Beach Community College Dean. He also knows his way around the classroom and has been a lecturer or professor at both CSULB and CSUDH.
But Dr. William's also shined bright in local politics. Winning three terms on the Long Beach Unified School District school board, Dr. Williams handed the baton to Eric Miller who continues his legacy as the only African American on the school board.
Leading the development of a cultural Center is no small task and requires navigating a labyrinth of politics, philanthropy and business. With an earned MBA and having fundraised for the esteemed Walt Disney Concert Hall Music Center, Dr. Williams held the sort of resume to get the job done.
His absence leaves a vacuum, to say the least.
Long Beach's Black Leadership Vacuum
Sure there are Black leaders in Long Beach. There are two Councilmen who serve the 8th and 9th Districts. Only A year ago, there were three Black Councilmen in Long Beach.
On the boards of both Long Beach Community College and LBUSD there are two Black men as well.
Black leaders have also successfully partnered with institutions. Notably, Long Beach's local NAACP chapter, for instance, recently partnered with the Long Beach Aquarium to award ten sizable scholarships to Black college students totaling $100,000.
Still there is a difference between partnership and ownership.
The fact is, we are approaching the third year since the City adopted a "visioning process" for the African American Cultural Center. And while Black men are winning elections we have yet to construct a building that celebrates our cultural contributions.
In this recent article, I first noted the lack of progress by Black elected officials to build a cultural center while Latino leaders were planning an entire business hub. Vice Mayor Rex Richardson responded with the following red herring
"I'm not interested in a Black vs. Latino narrative. It's unnecessary," said the Vice Mayor.
But creating a Black cultural center is not the logical equivalent of gang wars or a battle of resources between Black and Latino communities. The Center would be a celebration of Black culture which actually encompasses latin, indigenous and other cultures. More importantly it's a celebration that Black Long Beach residents can't host because we don't have a venue.
At least not one we wouldn't have to lease.
Still, one nagging question looms in the air. How can we trust our elected officials to solve our deeper challenges such as food deserts, Port pollution, gun violence, or unconstitutional policing if the closest monument to Black culture throughout the City is the blue pyramid on the east side of Long Beach where fewer than fraction of Black Long Beach residents can afford to reside?
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