by Shawn Nowlin
One of the most diverse school divisions in Virginia recently celebrated its grand opening of a new community empowerment center.
With a pair of scissors in hand and colleagues by her side, Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) Superintendent Verletta White cut the ribbon for the Community Empowerment Center at Booker T. Washington on Aug. 29.
Home to Lucy Addison High School from 1928-52, the new center is located in Gainsboro near the YMCA, an ideal location for RCPS families.
In addition to school enrollment assistance, the center also offers free school supplies and backpacks, personal hygiene items, business attire for job interviews, dental services through New Horizons Healthcare, and physical examination services, among other things.
Roughly 20 percent of the 14,000 RCPS students are English learners. Since being appointed to the position in July 2020, White has made it clear that every pupil matters, regardless of which zip code they reside in.
“This center is about empowering families through education and access. This is a one-stop hub of support. It’s built with the community and for the community, and by the community.”
She added, “You can’t effectively lead until you learn how to serve. This is all about service, service to our community. When our families succeed, our students succeed.”
Other community leaders who addressed those in attendance include Roanoke Vice Mayor Terry McGuire, RCPS Director of Community Engagement Corey Allder, RCPS School Board Chair Franny Apel, Jordan Bell, an RCPS parent, and Councilwoman Vivian Sanchez-Jones, who translated the significance of the celebratory occasion in Spanish.
“We are creating spaces that not only honor our past, but also open doors to lifelong learning, family empowerment, and community partnerships,” Allder said. “As Superintendent White often says, ‘This is legacy work.’ We are committed to giving families everything they need to start the year off on the right foot.”
“It’s often said that history is the greatest research we can do because it lets us know where we come from, where we are and where we need to go,” Bell said. “It’s on all of us to make sure that every person who comes through this center feels welcome. That’s what Roanoke City is about, and will continue to be.”
“School is often one of the only guaranteed touchpoints for our students and their families. The more ways we can help families become whole, the stronger our community will be,” Apel noted.
Attendees were invited to tour the facility after the ceremony.
When Jeremy Hernandez walked through the doors for the first time, he was in complete awe. “Obviously, an investment of this magnitude doesn’t happen without tremendous work behind the scenes. I think this is a true game-changer. The impact of this project should be transformative,” he said.
The RCPS Equity Action Plan, spearheaded by White in 2021, culminated with last Friday’s grand opening. The construction of the Charles Day Technical Education Center and the William Robertson Administration Building in downtown Roanoke were the other two projects.
