It was the moment everyone was waiting for.
On Apr. 26, the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center had its grand opening after nearly six months of renovation.
Tours of the newly remodeled building began at 11 a.m., and a barbecue followed at noon.
Entertainment was present throughout the day, as Tony West and the Imani Dancers, The OSU Jazz Band, African American Voices, The Charles Cooper Quartet and Floristine Yancey Jones were just some of the entertainment for the day's festivities.
African American art was alive and well, as selected pieces from James Kwame Clay, Gilda Edwards and Jerry Bell among others were on hand. The day-long event culminated with a speech from Rev. Leon Sullivan at Independence Hall.
Originally from Charleston, WV, he founded Opportunities Industrialization Centers in 1964 as a response to newly-opened job opportunities for minorities. The organization has provided skills training to over three million people toward the goals of gainful employment and business creation, with billions of dollars added to the economies of the world. After his speech, the spectators participated in a historical march from Independence Hall, to the Hale Black Cultural Center for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Hale Center opened in 1989 and has represented OSU's commitment to the personal, educational, social and cultural development of minority students.
The renovation will enhance the center's ability to offer programs and initiatives for minority students and groups represented throughout Ohio State.
Frank Hale Jr., vice provost and professor emeritus, was a professor at OSU from 1971 to 1988. He has also taught and lectured at Central State University, Oakwood College (Alabama) and the University of Nebraska. Hale is a recipient of a United Negro College Fund Distinguished Service Award, The PUSH for Excellence National Recognition Citation, and the Ohio Governor's Award for Community Action among other awards.
Visit the Hale Black Cultural Center on South Campus, 153 West 12th Ave.