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10 REASONS WHY WE NEED A COMMUNITY-CONTROLLED WORLD CLASS AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER AT COLMAN SCHOOL AND NOT AN URBAN LEAGUE VILLAGE WITH 36 APARTMENTS

1. So that we can have a place, a space, an environment that is dedicated to the healing of our people and community from the damages caused by 450+ years of multi-generational trauma and oppression experienced by Africans in America including mental and physical violence/abuse/terrorism.
2. Because it will make our communities safer. Many of the negative attitudes and behaviors exhibited by African Americans have been instilled or adopted/adapted during the brutal and inhumane enslavement of our people. Self hate, apathy, underachievement, drug abuse, crime, violence, overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, etc. can be replaced with effective culturally relevant education and personal healing and development opportunities. We need to deprogram and reprogram to be mentally, physically, emotionally healthy human beings.
3. Because it will make our youth more productive. Our youth are dying from a lack of positive self identity and purpose. Youth violence is on the rise in our city and we can only stop it by changing the mentality of the youth from negative to positive. We must reconnect our youth with the positive legacy of their ancestors; connect our present and future with the best of our past.
4. Because our families and communities suffer from a lack of positive cultural framework in which to exist and function.
5. So that we have a space to perform important functions necessary for the positive growth and development of our children and community that other institutions including family, school, church and government have, for many reasons, not been able to perform effectively.
6. Because African Americans have made many positive contributions to this country and world that are not recognized. This lack of recognition causes African Americans to have low self esteem and act in ways that are self destructive. Some examples of this are failure to educate self, lack of support for Black businesses and Black on Black violence including murder. The shortest month of the year is not sufficient to study and share our long and glorious past.
7. The lack of awareness of African people’s positive contributions to the world leads members of other ethnic groups to form a negative image based on lack of information. This adds to racial tension because where there is a lack of knowledge there is a lack of understanding, appreciation and respect.
8. To help prepare our community to productively participate in the global economy.
9. Because money is not an issue. There are billions of dollars being spent to address the effects of lack of positive culture including welfare dependency, drug treatment, police and prisons with no positive effect on the situation over the last 30 years.
10. To honor the vision, courage and conviction of those who worked, fought and sacrificed so that our children can have a place of nurturing and inspiration. By doing so we encourage others to be community builders and to be willing to make contributions and sacrifice for the betterment of our community and society.

The current Urban League Village at Colman School prevents us from having the institution described above. You say “why is this happening?” Simple, because there are people who do not want to see us heal, grow and prosper and there are people who look like us who are willing to sell our children and community for their own personal gain. We need to come together as a community and demand that our children get what they need and deserve. If we don’t…who will?