The Jefferson City Community Center: An African-American Icon

The Jefferson City Community Center, one of the few remaining buildings from the heyday of the Black community, is being brought back to life. The historic stone building opened in 1942, when segregation forced "separate but equal" facilities for black and white residents. The Center was active with dances, organization meetings, and activities for children, young people, and adults. Social services, including a soup kitchen, also were offered. During World War II and the Korean conflicts, the Center served as a U.S.O. facility for Black military personnel.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Center is now open to the public. Board president Patsy Johnson and vice president Michael Brownstein will discuss the building's history, its various roles through the decades, and how and why it remains important today.