For years, the Weeksville Heritage Center has stood as a reminder of Black American contribution to central Brooklyn. Recently the Center received a $100,000 prize to keep fighting for social justice and racial equity.
“We are a small but mighty team here at the [Weeksville] Heritage Center,” said Sierra Hamilton, a tour educator, about the recent win for the Center. “The work that was done here centuries ago was life changing. All we can do now is keep the history alive and keep supporting our community.”
Hamilton said the prize from the Brooklyn Community Foundation, “is going to help us keep this place as it deserves, and with the good weather around the corner we can’t wait for the community events that aids like this allow us to host.”
The Spark Prize provides over $600,00 each year to organizations working toward a better Brooklyn. Each year the Brooklyn Community Foundation selects five nonprofits to aid through a competitive application process. This year Weeksville Heritage Center was one of the winners. Foundation President Dr. Jocelynne Rainey said, “These nonprofits are among the best that Brooklyn has to offer. We are looking forward to seeing what [the Spark Prize] will help them achieve.” She views the Center as not only a legacy of self-determination but also a historic space that serves as an education space and a low-cost recreational, artistic, and communal hub.
Weeksville Heritage Center works hard to preserve its rich history, empowering the community and showcasing the historical importance of the area. Raymond Codrington, the President and CEO of Weeksville Heritage Center, expressed his thankfulness to the Brooklyn Community Foundation: “The stability and opportunity this prize provides the Center help our efforts of stabilizing the community. Now we can think about what kinds of work can we introduce that supports the systems we have in place, as well as any new projects we feel are needed.”…