YMI Cultural Center, the oldest operating African American Cultural Center in America, will celebrate the beginning of an exciting major renovation project with a Groundbreaking Ceremony at noon on Thursday, November 17th. “We look forward to moving back into a newly refurbished building,” says Dewana Little, Executive Director. “The new building will include renovated spaces in the basement for community use, a modified kitchen, newly lit gallery, and a climate controlled archival room.”

YMI Cultural Center’s ongoing capital campaign has raised over 3.4 million dollars towards the 5.8 million needed for upgrades to the 129 year old historic building. “Because the building is on The National Registry of Historic Places,” Ms. Little explained, “the original architecture and layout will remain the same. We will just have an expanded use of the building with modernized utilities.”