Renovated Africana center opens with informal pre-dedication celebration

From left: Cornell undergraduates Abena Sackey (engineering), Rashel Dorleans (arts and sciences) and Kate Ofikuru (ILR) lead the audience in song at the Africana Studies and Research Center's pre-dedication ceremony Feb. 16 with "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Behind them is master drummer Eddie Biko Smith. Kevin Stearns/University Photography

By Franklin Crawford

The Africana Studies and Research Center is back. Celebrating 35 years of effort and more recently, six months of intense construction, faculty, staff, students and friends of the ASRC gathered for an informal pre-dedication ceremony for the recently expanded and renovated complex Feb. 16 in the center's attractive new multipurpose room.

One highlight was the return of Dorothy Désir, a high priestess in the Haitain Vodou tradition, who performed a libation and symbolic washing ritual. At the center's groundbreaking in June, 2004, Désir appealed to the ancestors for "permission to break ground, so that the foundation of knowledge of the past and knowledge yet uncovered can come together in an unbroken circle."

The ancestors must have been pleased as mild weather in the early winter allowed construction crews, led by project manager Mike Wilkinson, to complete the project on deadline after an initial delay. Wilkinson is with the Cornell Office of Planning, Design and Construction (PDC).

As in June, master drummers Maurice Haltom and Eddie Biko Smith accompanied Désir's spiritual ministrations, which included a blessing of each member of Africana's faculty. Désir, who also is an independent scholar and art curator, blessed each faculty member in turn as they dipped their hands in a bowl of water held by Désir's assistant.

While a formal dedication will be held on April 29, Africana faculty and staff didn't want to wait that long to bless the new space -- or to invite the public for a tour. Everyone is back on site and classes and seminars are now being held at the center. In addition to the multipurpose room, the new John Henrik Clarke library, an inviting and inspired space, has been in operation since January.

"Credit goes to all our students and members of our community who fought very hard 35 years ago to establish a center and to the founding director, Professor James Turner," said Hassan, who in his opening remarks also credited "faculty who over the years worked hard to maintain [the center], develop it and call for expansion programmatically and intellectually."

Among others, Hassan reserved special praise for former President Hunter Rawlings and President Jeffrey Lehman, Turner, Wilkinson and the staff at PDC, Ken Glover, Ujamaa Residential College director and Africana librarian Eric Acree, and Africana staff members Judy Holley and Sheila Towner, who kept things running smoothly during the move.

Of the project space, Martin said, "When I am no longer provost, this is one of the things I will feel best about and I am honored to have been a part of it."

The ceremony was a town-gown event as well and Cornell alumni Abe and Denise Lee -- now Ithaca City school teachers -- praised the center and especially Turner's efforts to involve the community.

The ceremony closed with a short performance by members of the Community Unity Music Education program of Ithaca, led by Fe Nunn.

The principal architect for the project is Ralph T. Jackson with the Boston-based firm of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott. The firm integrated suggestions from the Africana faculty, staff and students and designed a building that meets program needs and captures the essence of Africana cultures and aesthetics.

Windows were replaced throughout the older building, an elevator was installed, and men's and women's bathrooms were placed on each floor. A seminar room, classroom and faculty/graduate student lounges were created in the former library. The first floor now includes faculty and administrative offices and a classroom. The second floor is devoted to faculty offices.

The center's existing building has been renovated, and a new building to house the Africana Library as well as a multipurpose room was added.