The Langston Centre: Promoting excellence and education for generations

The Langston Centre in downtown Johnson City is one of the city's wealthiest resources when it comes to Black history and community outreach, but it is a gem that many residents may not know about.The Langston Centre, the multicultural center which was once the only high school for African American children during segregation, now works to serve and reach out to all members of the Johnson City community through a number of essential services."There's three things we do here at the center," said Adam Dickson, supervisor of the Langston Centre. "We want to respect the past … recognize the present … and envision the future."According to Dickson, every service that the center provides is driven by one of these three goals.Langston staff have a robust understanding of and deep respect for the history that the building represents. Free tours, called the "Langston Experience," are available daily for guests who want to learn about Black history and the Black experience in Johnson City. On these tours, guests can view Langston school memorabilia, learn about the essential role that the school played during the years that segregation was legal, hear stories about the amazing people who founded the school and protected it through the years and more."We're very proud of this space and its legacy," said Dickson.Many community members share this pride, as the building was saved from demolition in 2015 thanks to Langston alumni who, according to Dickson, "view the space as more than just bricks and mortar."The folks at Langston are also conducting ongoing research to find and highlight other Johnson City institutions which are of black historical and cultural significance. They have also launched the "Langston Legacy" project which is endeavoring to document stories and accounts from Langston alumni.In their efforts to "recognize the present" the Langston Centre is home to an afterschool program which serves between 25 and 28 students daily and works to offer unique opportunities to the children of the surrounding neighborhoods.The center is set in an area of Johnson City referred to as the 601 Census Tract — a historically economically underserved area which has been "marked with heavy disparities," said Dickson. Thanks to state grant funds, the after-school program is able to serve students in grades 3-12 with a blend of STEAM learning, experiential and multicultural education."We think it's very important that we focus on STEAM because that's where the jobs are going towards — science and technology based," said Dickson. "We think that it's important to focus on multicultural education, because these young people need to see themselves in these roles. … We think it's very important for the young people to have as many experiences as possible.""We think all three are important," he continued, "because these experiences are very very real, and they're going to shape who (these kids) become."The staff at the Langston Centre also work hard to offer students unique experiences like an aviation camp where students actually got to go up in the air. The center partners with groups like Bravissimo! Women in the Arts which allows the kids to see plays at ETSU's Martin Center for the Arts and Munsey Memorial Methodist Church which helps to facilitate the "Langston Cares" program that teaches kids about the importance of community service and empathy.In their efforts to "envision the future," Dickson said that Langston is reaching out to the greater Johnson City community through a number of community engagement efforts."As we see people moving in (to this area) and we all live together, we need to know each other, and we need to grow with each other," he said. "So community engagement is very important."The first piece of this community engagement is embracing the diversity of Johnson City. In September, Langston held what is to their knowledge the first Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in Johnson City. The center is also home to a recurring African Culture showcase, and Dickson said he is hoping to reach out to the Asian American/Pacific Islander community to celebrate their heritage.Dickson said that he wants to use these multicultural events and educational opportunities to "showcase the fact that our region possesses the globe."The second community outreach piece is the long list of classes that Langston offers for free to all members of the community. While the rotation changes semi-regularly, these classes have included community education, foreign language, Zumba, Black history, English as a Second Language and basic computer education for senior citizens.The goal of these classes is to build community and bring together people whose paths may not normally cross, so that the community as a whole can continue to grow."Community engagement is kind of like the new essential service for a municipality," said Dickson.For more information on these services and others, visit https://www.johnsoncitytn.org/residents/langston_community_center.php and book a tour of the center. The "Langston Experience" tours are led by knowledgeable staff and can be booked for free any weekday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.