February 11, 2026
UMOJA Magazine staff had the chance to visit and tour the Center for Black Excellence and Culture. Coming to be known as “The Center”, this practically completed construction will become a new creative space to uplift Black people in our community.
We got an inside preview of the soon-to-come programming and events gracing the space later this year. Jason Fields, President of The Center, toured us through the building that features Black art from local and global creatives, classrooms and workspace for visitors of all ages, and Wisconsin’s first and only black-owned theater. The theater will be used for lectures, movie premieres, concerts, and more. The Center also has a ton of space dedicated to showcasing black achievement. President Fields highlighted the areas committed to highlighting Black firsts in Wisconsin. He notes that they are living and breathing, since Black excellence is all around us and deserves to be highlighted in real time. He looks forward to having every inch of The Center dripping in blackness. From the art on the walls, coffee and beverages available in the main area, to the details of the architecture itself, excellence and culture are worthy adjectives to label this space. With much of the space’s inspiration being pulled from the broader African diaspora.
While The Center will feature its own unique programming, the majority of the space will be shared with community partners. The Center especially looks forward to partners like the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub that is situated less than two blocks away. The proximity of these two spaces will be transformative for Madison’s south side. With leaders committed to forging bridges, a new era of Madison is on the rise. President Fields sees clear into a future where each space in The Center is fully utilized. While The Center is not open to the public quite yet, the potential is truly limitless. He looks forward to learning what can happen to our communities when a space like this exists.
