puzzling politics of the August Wilson Center

Foundations run by white males eventually must yield control of a center for African American culture, argues civic leader SALA UDIN

Congratulations to Janis Burley Wilson on her recent appointment as president and CEO of the August Wilson Center. Ms. Burley Wilson deserves the widespread praise she has received, having demonstrated extraordinary talent in selecting popular artists for performances and artistic presentations of African American culture. But …

Neither at the press conference announcing her appointment nor in the Post-Gazette editorial about it (“A New Day at AWC,” July 24) was a complete picture offered of the major issues that continue to surround the August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

It is a false narrative to suggest that no effective fundraising had been done before the Pittsburgh, Heinz and Richard King Mellon foundations bought the AWC building and set up the African American Cultural Center to oversee it. Such misinformation flies in the face of documented evidence to the contrary. The founding directors and a host of donors and supporters raised in excess of $42 million to open and begin operating the AWC.

In fact, the capital fundraising committee was led by the AWC’s own “Hidden Figures.” Chaired by Bonnie Van Kirk and Karen Farmer White, it included Nancy Washington, Cecile Springer, Judy Davenport, Mona Generett, Yvonne Cook and Marva Harris. Pastors William H. Curtis and the late Jason Barr raised a matching-challenge contribution of $60,000 themselves.

Now, AWC has indeed taken a big step forward in hiring Ms. Burley Wilson. But the bigger step, in a different direction, is the three foundations’ usurpation of the mission of the August Wilson Center.

Although the foundations purchased the AWC property at a foreclosure sale for $7 million, they

eventually must return the $42 million facility back to the governance and ownership of Pittsburgh’s AfricanAmerican community.

When the foundations sought the support of African-American leaders for their purchase of the property back in 2014, I arranged a meeting of ministers and leaders in the board room of Macedonia Baptist Church. Grant Oliphant, who at the time was CEO of the Pittsburgh Foundation and now leads the Heinz Endowments, committed to those present that the foundations, if they were successful in purchasing the real estate, would ensure the continued operation of the AWC at a level of $2 millionto $3 million annually and the eventual return of ownership and governance back to the African-American community.

The foundations set up a nonprofit corporation, the African American Cultural Center, whose initial function was to maintain the real estate and building. It contracted with the Cultural Trust to provide this maintenance.

In addition, the foundations supported a small contract for Janera Solomon, executive director of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, to facilitate “community conversations” about the past, present and future of the AWC. This contract also supported the formation of a board that would eventually become the new governing body of the AWC. This board incorporated itself as a nonprofit organization under the name AWC Renewal and elected Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Joseph K. Williams III as it chair.

Then the foundations and the Trust decided it was a good idea to have Ms. Burley Wilson, then a vice president of the Trust, provide some programming activity so that the building was “open and operational.” She did a good job organizing gallery presentations and booking acts in the state-of-the-art theater.

The foundations claimed that the nonprofit they set up to buy the AWC, composed of their three white male CEOs, would not and could not supplant the mission of AWC Renewal. They would not and could not become the August Wilson Center for African American Culture. But they were becoming openly impatient with what they considered the slow progress of AWC Renewal to assume its role as the new governing body of AWC.

And then, at some point and without consulting AWC Renewal, the foundations edged closer to supplanting the mission of Renewal. The foundations gave their property-owning nonprofit the name “African American Cultural Center.” This was a curious move, given that this so-called African-American organization was controlled by three white males! Two black males, Richard Taylor and Michael Polite, were added to the AACC board later in an attempt to ameliorate this contradiction.

Meanwhile, the foundations continued to support the development of AWC Renewal and provided funds for Renewal to hire a New York strategic planning consultant, Lisa Yancy. Ms. Yancy has paid several visits to Pittsburgh and has talked to dozens of Pittsburghers and is deep into the process of developing a strategic plan.

Then, again without consultation with AWC Renewal, the foundations announced that AACC was in search of a CEO. This announcement also was confusing, because AWC Renewal anticipated that, as a part of its strategic plan, it would conduct a search for a CEO of the new AWC.

The assumption was that the CEO of the AACC would oversee only real-estate management, with the Cultural Trust contracted to keep the building “open and operating” while Ms. Burley Wilson organized some programming at the AWC. But the foundations’ real intentions were never articulated, leaving Renewal in the dark, despite frequent communication among Judge Williams, the foundations and the AACC.

Then came the announcement of the hiring of Ms. Burley Wilson as president and CEO … but of what? Of the AACC? Of the property-management function? Of performance programming in the AWC theater? Or is she the CEO that Renewal board members thought they were going to hire for the new August Wilson Center?

The AACC press release announcing Ms. Burley Wilson’s appointment said she will develop a business and strategic plan. Is that the same plan the foundations have been supporting under the auspices of AWC Renewal? The press release quotes Ms. Burley Wilson as saying she will be “open to opportunities and partnerships that will further the mission of the African American Cultural Center.”

What is the mission of the African American Cultural Center? Is it the same or different from the mission of AWC Renewal and the August Wilson Center? Have the foundations decided to become the permanent overseer and owner of both the real estate and the mission of the August Wilson Center?

If so, they should say so, loudly and openly. They cannot back into this mission in a fog of silence and confusion. Have they decided to abandon AWC Renewal because it is moving deliberately and slowly?

Despite the fact that the foundations saved the AWC from becoming a hotel and they currently own the real estate, that does not give them license to usurp the mission of a center for African-American culture!

No, this cannot happen. We will not allow the AWC to be reduced to entertainment, to singing and dancing. If we did, August Wilson would turn over in his grave.