Lee Street Community Center

   The Lee Street Community Center is now partnering with the Descendants of the Elaine Massacre in putting the pieces together in Elaine, Arkansas.  These are the main pieces of our puzzle.

1. History  Turning Point Park is a steppingstone into the history of racial violence in 1919.  Scipio Jones is honored. A board member has written a children's book about him to be published in early 2022. Another book about the history is being written by a descendant of the Elaine Massacre.
2.  Unity    Also honored in Turning Point Park are Sheila Walker and J. Chester Johnson.  They are amazing examples of true reconciliation. Sheila's great uncles were victims in 1919, while Chester's grandfather was involved in the killing.  THe two of them were able to meet. Sheila held no resentment, leading to a long-term close friendship between the two families.
3. Birdhouse Capital      Students painting birdhouses led to an ongoing project. Birdhouses have been collected since 2013, and there are more birdhouses than people in town.  They add character to the town and hopefully will provide economic opportunities.
4.  Life Skills      The students in this small isolated town without a school have not had the opportunity to develop skills that will encourage them to move forward in life.  Tutoring in academic areas is always needed, but hands-on activities are also necessary.  Current projects  include nutrition and shopping, woodworking, and entrepreneurship.

   We have set our goal for 2021 at $2021 because our buildings are in need of attention.  The carpet in the community center is 14 years old and has had some water damage, along with thousands of big and little feet.  Both the high school and community center need repairs to heat and air.  Of course, we'd be happy to accept more than our goal and use every bit of it.