Bessie Smith Cultural Center
Lewis Latimer made improvements to the filament of the light bulb, and is part of the exhibit Bright Ideas: African American Inventors at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.ABOUT THE CENTER* 1996 — 200 E. M.L. King Boulevard becomes the new home of the Chattanooga African American Museum and Bessie Smith Hall.* 2009 — The facility is renamed the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.* A 15-member board of directors oversees the center.
The robbery earlier this summer at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center has given me a chronic case of the blues. As a blues educator and performer, I take it personally.
The center has found itself at a proverbial crossroads. I can hear Bessie now, “They done stole my money again.”
The robbery, which occurred after the June 9 Bessie Smith Strut, raises questions about the overall state of the center, including its mission, financial health and future. It appears that since 2006, the center has spent more money than it has raised. How will it manage its current and future fundraising efforts under the current circumstances? Who will be willing to take an obvious financial risk? How can funders be assured that their money will be properly used? As one City Councilman pointed out to me, this current situation is part of a sad legacy of failed black nonprofits in the MLK neighborhood.
As the sociologist W.I. Thomas once said, “Things that are perceived as real are real in their consequence.” The current public perception of the center leaves a lot to be desired. How will it be able to restore the public trust? What are some specific steps that should be taken immediately? Will the center be able to overcome the negative perceptions as it attempts to garner support?