Osupa 9 December 2011 Lifestyle, MXO Business Report, The Arts Unplugged No Comment

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By Ms. Osupa Nia

Posted December 9th 2011

If Booker T. Tall were living to witness the unveiling of the African American Cultural Garden he would have been in awe! The seeds that Tall planted in 1977 in planning a site for the African American Cultural Garden are beginning to blossom into a creation that transcends time in the portrayal of the African American journey. The African American Cultural Garden is the first garden locally, nationally and internationally to ‘to represent and celebrate the African American experience.

Over the past thirty four years, four mayoral administrations have worked with Booker T. Tall, Dr. Eugene Jordan, Bracy Lewis, Andrew Jackson and many more in an effort to help develop the garden.  Mayor Voinovich dedicated four acres for the site in 1977. Mayor White apportioned $250,000 for the development of the project and in 2008 Mayor Jackson established an African American Cultural Garden Task force and simultaneously released the $250,000 allocation

The African American Cultural Garden Task force engaged architect, W. Daniel Bickerstaff II to design the garden. Bickerstaff unraveled the conceptualization and research that created the gardens three components:

• Past Pavilion: ‘Translates the experience of the initial aspects of the “Slave Trade” through the reinterpretation of the dungeons, corridors and ultimate ‘Doorway of No Return” of the castles located along the western coast of Africa.’
• Present Pavilion: ‘Evokes the sense of ‘Emergence’; the form emerges from the site echoing our emergence as a people in this country despite the myriad of challenges.
• Future Pavilion: ‘Addresses the need for reflection and hope through the reintroduction of a fountain and small reflecting pool contrasting and paying homage to the fountain in the Past Pavilion and its symbolism.

The unveiling was breathless as a capacity audience of community leaders, activist, business leaders and the community at large watched in amazement!

The total budget to construct the garden is $2 million. The most profound revelation of the evening was that the African American Cultural Garden has brought the community together working for a common goal…to build the garden.  African American construction companies have made a pledge to donate resources for the development. Community Shares for the project will start at $20. ‘Everybody in the African American community can now afford to by a share to help fund the garden,’ asserts Andrew Jackson, Chairperson African American Cultural Garden Task Force.

Groundbreaking will take place in 2012 and the project is expected to be completed by 2013.

It was an evening of pride, reflection, hope and emergence! Keep the spirit going by making a community investment and purchase your share into the African American Cultural Garden. Make this work of art a project that will be primarily developed, constructed and funded by the African American community.