RESOLUTION NO. 180843

Honoring W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center on their 45 years of service to the community.

WHEREAS, the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center was founded in 1973 and has provided academic and technical services to families in the Greater Kansas City Missouri area for more than 45 years through an all volunteer service model; and

WHEREAS, community leaders, L. Leon Dixon and William B. Grace founded the Center on a very simple premise … “All of us find ourselves with discretionary time, the question is, “What are we going to do with it?”; and

WHEREAS, in 1983, the first building was donated to the Center by Fred Curls and Freedom Incorporated. Over the next 25 years, the Center grew, expanding beyond reading and math and adding science, technology, college coaching and multi-media; and

WHEREAS, by 2008, over 30 community centers and churches were connected to the internet through the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center. The Center’s work was known throughout the Greater Kansas City Community and nationally, and

WHEREAS, in 2016 the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center purchased the Milton Moore Elementary School from the Kansas City Public School and

WHEREAS, today more than 50 volunteers provide services each week, to support more than 300 students annually; and

WHEREAS, in 2015, in partnership with Black Family Technology Awareness Association, the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center launched KUAW 98.5 – Community Radio and expanded their technology footprint to include Lego and Vex Robotics, Coding and A+ to prepare students for a 21st century workforce; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

That the Mayor and Council hereby honor W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center on their 45 years of service to the community; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be spread upon the Minutes of the Council in testimony thereof and that a copy hereof be presented to William B Grace, Co-Founder, L. Leon Dixon, Co-Founder, Terri Barnes, Jacqueline Watts, Revonia Elston, Michael Moore, Dr. Carla MeBane and Mickey Dean, with the congratulations of the Mayor, Council and citizens of Kansas City for their excellent commitment to this community and our youth.

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