Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights
In 2001, the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center opened their doors to the youth of the 8th Ward in Washington, D.C. The result was a safe, educational learning space that any child with an interest could attend.
On Thursday, the center celebrated its 10th anniversary, with tennis powerhouses Venus and Serena Williams in attendance (pictured above with kids), of empowering more than 4,000 kids with a balanced dose of education and sports.
The center has served as a motivational enclave for students to get ahead, offering a technology lab, library and tennis court and also has an array of activities, such as sewing, a step team and a book club.
The mission of the center is to:
- Improve the academic average of every child;
- Increase understanding of technology and its role in today's society;
- Increase understanding of the role of sports in promoting teamwork and understanding;
- Provide recreation as an alternative to anti-social behavior
BV: What made you decide to start this center?
CMB: The need in the community, knowing that the community needed something beyond what they have and believing that it would help them. You know vision, the holy spirit. There's a whole story about how the center got built, but just know that the community needed it and we would benefit from it if we could just work hard and make it happen.
BlackVoices.com: Talk about Southeast's anniversary.
Cora Masters Barry: Well, 10 years has gone in to our kids' lives in a way that has changed the trajectory of their lives in our community. I've seen kids who first got there at 5 years old -- they are in high school now, and some kids have graduated. We have over 30 kids who have attended college and gotten scholarships. It just means that the work has really made a difference in these children's lives. It's just amazing that it's already been 10 years. It's scary.
BV: What about the center has/is changing kids' lives?
CMB: The education, the tennis. The involvement of the children with the tutors, role models, helping them with their learning, giving them sports that can take them through life and transport them through college. There is just a plethora of programs and opportunities.
BV: What does your center offer?
CMB: We have a building that's built with the concept of tennis and education, so one portion of the school is called a "mini school," and there is tutoring, computers and all kind of programs and then there is the tennis which marries the two.
BV: What impact has the center had on the community?
CMB: The programs in the building itself is just amazing, and it makes everyone feel proud. It gives them a place to go; it gives them opportunities and exposure. I always call it a "transformative entity."
BV: What are the backgrounds of the kids who attend your center?
CMB: Ward 8 is like South Central, L.A.; it's an underserved community, so the center brings opportunities that ordinarily wouldn't be there. Our children are predominately African American.
BV: What would you say to someone who wants to help our children and community but doesn't know where to start?
CMB: With me, it's very simple. Vision, passion, tenacity and determination equals success in anything you endeavor to do. So if there are children whose lives you want to affect, you have to believe in it and then you have to just stick with it because it's never easy.
BV: The media is always saying you can't help kids from urban areas. What would you say to that?
CMB: Again, vision, passion, tenacity and determination and getting beyond the criticism and roadblocks, and as you go down that road, people buy in. People always buy in to authentic passion. The need is there, but everyone doesn't know how to approach it, and a lot of people don't think it's going to work because so many things haven't, but if you look consistently and if you show results, even if it's baby steps, you begin to develop a very big group of supporters.