You could hear the collective hearts of mothers of all colors break when news broke in 2014 of police shooting and killing an innocent black child in a Ohio park over a toy gun. Video showed the police driving up on 12-year-old Tamir Rice as he played in the park with a plastic gun. No warning was issued… they just fired on him before their car even stopped. It was one of many incidents across the country in recent years that have called for a national discussion on racial profiling. But for Tamir’s mom, Samaria, it meant the loss of her son and a call to help kids of color make it into adulthood. Samaria is creating the Afrocentric Cultural Center in honor of Tamir. “I don’t really see a whole lot of positivity coming out of the inner city when it comes to the youth that is suffering,” Rice told Cleveland.com, reports the Huffington Post. “I want the center to give them a sense of hope.” The Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center will be a place where children can engage in art, music and drama, while learning how to navigate the political and civic landscape. The Tamir Rice Foundation, started by his mother, purchased the building that will contain the center in March. The couple who previously owned it told Cleveland.com that they had received offers for the space but were waiting for “its next purpose.” “I’ve got to channel my stuff to the youth because they’re going to be our future,” Rice said. “I may not see it in my lifetime, but the center will make sure it gets done, that’s for sure.” On June 14, Rice is holding a Sweet Sixteen fundraiser at the Cleveland Museum of Art ― Tamir would have turned 16 next month ― to cover the renovation costs for the new space. She hopes the Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center will open sometime in 2019. Rice is also developing a film about her son called “12: The Tamir Rice Story.”
Advertisement
Advertisement
