by Lee Pierre
On December 5, 1957, a group of interested Black citizens of Puliski, VA, who called themselves the “Building Committee” met to discuss the possibility of constructing a building to be used for civic, church, and community meetings for youth and adults. A second meeting was held December 10, 1957 and organized the Christian Citizen’s Leagues and the following officers were elected: President: Rev. Thomas Green Howard; First Vice-President, Hazel M. Thomas; Second Vice-President, Stella Grubb; Corresponding Secretary, Maria Penn; Financial Secretary, Amanda E. Dehart; and Treasurer, Alma Watson.
The idea to build a community center was introduced by Rev. Howard in the summer of 1959 when he called a meeting of local citizens to discuss the possibility of such a project. The Christian citizen’s league and the Mary White Buford Women’s club jointly sponsored a fund raising campaign for the project that lasted two years and the building was dedicated May 16, 1965, with mission ‘to build a stronger Black community by revitalizing our cultural heritage, values and identity, connect the community to cultural events, involving the arts, education, recreation, celebration and local support services to empower individuals and families in an inclusive environment.’
The building thrived for several years until funding ran out in 2011, causing the building to become vacant from 2012-2019. Currently, the T.G.H. Center is on a mission to raise funds to restore the facility and implement community programs for at-risk youth through the guidance of Guy Smith, executive director. His steadfast beliefs and determination continues to help revitalize the center.
“Don’t look for outsiders entities to do things for the community,” Smith stated as being the reason why he jumped in and worked diligently to encourage “the community” to be part of the revitalization of the center that will help all generations in various ways. His strong desire to be involved also comes from his father, Robert Smith, who often talked to him about bringing the “Black Y” back to Pulaski, VA. Neither T. G. Howard nor Robert Smith ever got to see their dreams of what the center could be however their actions and words inspired Guy and others to create a resourceful center, one that would surely make both men proud.
Guy and his board members have developed multiple successful programs free of charge to the community such as Academic Champions; Color of Love series; a Women’s program on health and hygiene; Back to School Book bags; Tickle Pink (cancer awareness program); and the Youth Academy scholarship.
One successful program, the Thomas Greene Howard Humanitarian Award, is given to a Pulaski County student who has been involved with T.G. Howard Community Center Inc. Outreach program and Youth Academy and exhibits concern for the welfare of others. This year’s recipient is Evonnia Hayden, a freshman at the Pulaski County High School, an academically gifted student who has been able to juggle community service and extracurricular activities successfully. Hayden plans on attending James Madison University and eventually going into the medical field.
“I am preparing to take my first ever trip abroad to Mexico for a mission trip with my church. Being a part of the TG Howard community center program I went through was an incredible experience that provided me with numerous opportunities for growth and development. The program offered a variety of activities that helped me build essential skills and fostered a strong sense of community that encouraged everyone participating to strive for excellence and to give back to the community. Receiving the Thomas Greene Howard Humanitarian Award will assist me in my ability to directly contribute to various projects and activities we will be undertaking in Mexico, such as providing aid to those in need, participating in community-building efforts, and sharing valuable resources and knowledge. This award brings me a step closer to making this meaningful trip a reality.”
More information about the center can be found on The T. G. Howard Community Center Facebook page.
