The Legacy Activity Center, adjacent to the Museum, provides programs to actively engage children and youth in educational and entertaining experiences that bring to life African American cultural and historical traditions. In addition, it provides a gathering place for all ages. For news associated with the activity center visit the activity center news page.
Partnerships & ongoing programs:
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Churches for Urban Ministry
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YWCA Y-Gyrls
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Church of the Covenant: Hope II at Lynchburg High Apartments
Churches for Urban Ministry: Camp Timothy
Summer 2011
For the third summer, Legacy Project board members and volunteers organized and conducted educative, culturally enriching activities for each of the seven Camp Timothy age groups. All together, 97 children, 14 camp counselors and 10 Legacy volunteers participated in this summer’s programs. Each program lasted about an hour with the children arriving at Legacy—most days on foot—about 9:45. The campers were a pleasure to work with: they were polite, attentive, and eagerly engaged in whatever activity had been planned for them.
One of the groups visited the Legacy Museum where they were challenged to answer all 20 questions in a ‘scavenger hunt’ by carefully reading the text panels and examining the artifacts on display. The other 6 groups participated in creative crafts projects rooted in African/African-American forms of cultural expression. These included making beads, hand puppets, and masks, and printing with stamps in the form of popular Ghanaian proverbial symbols.
LEGACY/YWCA-Y-GYRLS DRUM ENSEMBLE
On Tuesday afternoons throughout the school year, a small but dedicated group of young girls gathered at the Legacy Activity Center to learn African drum rhythms and techniques using the center’s djembes (a type of drum used throughout West Africa) under the direction of master drummer Ed Mikenas
The Y-GYRLS Drum Ensemble was organized by Terri Miller from the YWCA with support from the American Association of University Women. After many hours of vigorous practice, the ensemble performed for several community groups and events among them Sweet Briar College’s Soul Food dinner, Diamond Hill and Daniel’s Hill Community Centers, Juneteenth, and Legacy’s annual dinner
SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
To encourage young people to adopt healthy hair care practices, Legacy held a special program Saturday April 9. A panel of local hair care professionals: Rev. Mary O. Johnson, owner of Sonship Hairstylist, Lewis Wilson, Sr., owner of Wilson’s Barber, Tyeast Blanding, owner of Nubian Citi, and Patrice Gilbert, instructor at Legends Institute in the Plaza, spoke about healthy hair care practices, their own career paths, and, opportunities for young people who want to enter the profession. Members of the audience had opportunities to ask the panelists questions and to view a small exhibit of hair care tools and information about well known practitioners such as Madam C.J. Walker and Annie Turnbo Malone in the Thelma Mundy room of the LAC.
It was evident from the panelists’ presentations that, like so many African American cosmetologists and barbers before them, they have made significant economic and social contributions to their communities. Legacy is pleased to call these fine professionals neighbors and friends.
