Press Release: Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
September 23, 2002
GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- The much anticipated African-American Research Library and Cultural Center is scheduled
to open in Greater Fort Lauderdale on October 26, 2002. Beginning October 19, a week of festivities will mark the
occasion. A new focal point for the destination, the facility will serve as a research library and cultural center
for scholars, students and the general public and provide a full range of library services to the immediate community.
The 60,000 square foot African-American Research Library and Cultural Center is located at the southeast corner
of Northwest 27 Avenue and Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. It will be only the third of its kind in the
United States, joining the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York and the Auburn Avenue Research
Library in Atlanta. The auditorium and exhibit areas will provide opportunities to exchange ideas and cultural
values as well as promote an understanding and appreciation of the contributions of persons of African descent.
“More than money, bricks and mortar have gone into this library. It is being built with faith and the belief that
historical and cultural experiences are an index to the future,” said Broward County Commission Chair Lori Nance
Parrish. “This facility will enrich Broward County and attract people from the four corners of the world – from
school children to scholars. It will distinguish us in educational circles and will reflect most favorably on the
residents of our multicultural county.”
Broward County Library director Samuel F. Morrison commented, “In human terms, this place will allow our children
to learn about themselves. It will also attract scholars and historians, even filmmakers, interested in the history
of black people.”
The cultural and community component consists of:
The library and research component offers an array of community services, including:
The special collections include:
Award-winning interior designer Cecil Hayes, owner of Designers Unlimited, Inc. in Coconut Creek, FL, will bring
an Afro centric touch to the interior. Hayes grew up in Florida and graduated from Florida A & M University
and the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. He has designed interiors for actors Wesley Snipes and Samuel L. Jackson
as well as NBA basketball star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. Her work has been featured in over a dozen professional
magazines, including Architectural Digest. The Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) in Dania, FL recently awarded
Hayes the Visionary in Design Award.
The engineer and architect is PAWA Complex Int’l, Inc., the largest African-American owned architectural and engineering
firm in the U.S., with offices in Broward County. PAWA’s client list includes Miami International Airport, Fort
Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and the Department of Transportation.
The public art designer is Gary Moore, a graduate of the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program
in New York. His awards include the National Endowment for the Arts Design for Transportation National Award in
1996, a Research Fellowship at University of Miami in 1991 and a Florida State Fellowship in Painting in 1989.
Major private sector donors of more than $100,000 include: Huzienga Family Foundation, AutoNation, Kresge Foundation,
Citigroup Foundation, Gates Library Foundation, Dianne and Michael Bienes, Sun-Sentinel South Florida/Sun-Sentinel
Tribune Children’s Fund, Minority Builders Association, Barbara and Milton Jones, and many more.
To support the library and its rich offerings, various sponsorship levels are available to accommodate all budgets.
The Samuel F. Morrison Endowment Fund exists to provide financial support in perpetuity for AARLCC programs and
services. To contribute to the endowment fund or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact the Broward
Public Library Foundation at 954-357-7468.
For more information, visit the library website at www.broward.org/aarlcc
or contact the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1850 Eller Drive, Suite 303, Fort Lauderdale,
FL 33316; call 800-22-SUNNY (in the U.S. and Canada), or visit the website at www.sunny.org
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Francine Mason Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Tel: (954) 765-4466 E-mail: fmason@broward.org