Service & Heritage Programs

The Thurgood Marshall Center incorporates the preservation of a prominent community landmark for adaptive reuse as a blended community facility that will engage the distinguished heritage of the building with services for at-risk children, families, and youth.

Our museum portrays a living history of African Americans in the Shaw Community with:

• Exhibits
• A tour site for the Duke Ellington's Shaw Heritage tours

The museum exposes the youth of the Shaw community to leaders who have been affiliated with the building such as:

• Thurgood Marshall, Supreme Court Justice
• Dr. Charles Drew, discoverer of blood plasma
• Langston Hughes, the distinguished poet
• Duke Ellington, the accomplished jazz musician

And scores of others who grew up in the neighborhood, walked these halls and went on to careers as public officials, business leaders, police officers, shop keepers, lawyers, and tradesmen.

Additionally, a number of other programs are conducted in the Thurgood Marshall Center by the following resident nonprofit organizations: