The Theophalis May Community Center almost didn’t get built, but when it was built, the center quickly became filled with kids.
During the 2010 mayoral race, Lumon May and other Black leaders asked the two finalists, Ashton Hayward and Mike Wiggins, to sign a pledge to build two community centers in the underserved Black community. The leaders were tired of the Pensacola City Council pumping millions into parks and services in the City’s more affluent white neighborhoods.
- They recently saw $500,000 committed to upgrade Legion Field redirected to the Roger Scott Tennis Center.
Hayward agreed to sign the pledge and won the election. He then assigned his chief of staff, John Asmar, to find how to do it. Most of the Local Option Sales taxes had been spent or committed, but Asmar found $6 million to build community centers at Legion Field and Woodland Heights.
- The Legion Field site became the Theophalis May Community Center, but Asmar had to add a branch library to obtain the necessary funds. The library cut into the meeting space available for SYSA tutoring.
When the Theophalis May Community Center opened in July 2014, Mayor Ashton Hayward presented Theophalis May’s widow, Mary May, with a plaque to mark the occasion. Mrs. May took her moment at the microphone to deliver a message of hope, a message that her husband taught to all seven of their children.
“If you believe, then you can receive,” Mrs. May told the crowd who packed the gym of the center. “These children can be saved.”
However, the center was too small. SYSA was overwhelmed with children, adding hundreds each year.
When the City of Pensacola received a new round of LOST dollars during the second term, the City didn’t expand the Theophalis May Community Center. No, the Pensacola City Council chose to spend $20 million on a new Bayview Park Community Center.
SYSA realized that if any expansion were to happen at Legion Field. The nonprofit would have to build it themselves, so they have raised the funds to do it.
Tonight, the Pensacola City Council will vote on whether to lease the land next to the Theophalis May Community Center so they can build the much-needed expansion. Some members may vote the deal down because they want the children’s families to pay for the main maintenance and upkeep of the building that SYSA will use for maybe six hours a day on weekdays. These families struggle to put food on the table and keep the lights on in their homes.
- So the Pensacola City Council may once again tell the Westside to accept less and turn down the $3-million expansion. Children will suffer.
I hope not.