|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Sunday, September 14, 6 PM, at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall
On September 14, 2025, the Marshall L. Davis Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center will mark its 50th Anniversary with a celebration at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. For half a century, the Center has served as a cultural cornerstone in Liberty City, nurturing generations of young talent through arts education, mentorship, and community.
“From nurturing future stars to honoring visionary leadership in our community, the Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center stands as a national model for empowerment through the arts,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “The 50th anniversary marks a powerful milestone in Miami’s cultural history, celebrating decades of artistic excellence and community impact by the Center and its alumni. This celebration also reflects the strength of public-private partnerships—especially with the Banyan Foundation—whose steadfast support has helped sustain and elevate the Center’s transformative mission.”
Highlights of the evening include screening of the new documentary An Instrumental Start: A Model for the Nation, chronicling the Center’s origins and its founder’s belief that the arts could be a pathway to success. The film includes appearances by Phylicia Rashad, Savion Glover, and several Center alumni whose lives were shaped by its programs.
Live performances will include alumni artists including Marshall Davis, Jr., Willerm Delisfort, a dance piece choreographed by Robert Battle, former Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and others. Nu Deco Ensemble will bookend with signature performances.
The celebration honors not just the Center’s legacy, but the often-overlooked contributions of Black Miamians who helped build the city—from the Bahamian signers of the 1896 city charter to E.W.F. Stirrup, and D. A. Dorsey, who financed the Brickells during the city’s early development. This 50th anniversary is both a celebration and a call to remembrance.
For more information, call (305) 638-6771 or visit www.ahcacmiami.org
About the Marshall L. Davis Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
Part of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center was founded in 1975 to serve as the nesting ground for emerging talent in the performing and visual arts in the heart of Liberty City. By providing quality instruction, inspiration, and encouragement to young people within the community, the Center has fulfilled its mission for 50 years, and everyday creates a means for youth to discover their artistic talents. The Center receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, and the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Arts and Culture.
About the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council develop cultural excellence, access, and participation throughout Miami-Dade County by strategically creating and promoting opportunities for artists and cultural organizations, and our residents and visitors who are their audiences. The Department receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Florida Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation, and the Taft Foundation. Other support and services are provided by TicketWeb for the Culture Shock Miami program, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Florida Cultural Consortium, and the Tourist Development Council. For information visit www.miamidadearts.org.
