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Trailblazer Tributes & Memorials
Since 1924, "The Wheatley" has been stirring the leader within by providing a place where people gather to discover their strengths, develop their skills, participate in community and find the encouragement and support to pursue their dreams.
The center is named after Phillis Wheatley. an eighteenth century slave who became the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry. She left behind concrete evidence of what can be achieved through character, ambition, courage and humility. "Her life reminds us that in spite of what is happening on the outside, there's something within that can help you prevail." - Barbara Milon, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center Executive Director. This philosophy guides every program at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center.
For more than eight decades, Phyllis Wheatley has been a pivotal organization providing a safe place for people to transcend barriers and develop their leadership talents. Numerous leaders such as the late W. Harry Davis have had a strong start at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center , and came back to serve the organization. The impact the organization has had on people who have become leaders in their professions and in the community are legendary in the African American community. Many civil and social leaders called the "Wheatley House" their second home and the list of distinguished guests included Langston Hughes, Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson and W.E.B. Dubois among others.
A documentary film about the Wheatley House and its founder, W. Gertrude Brown The Heart of Bassett Place: W. Gertrude Brown and the Wheatley House by Mick Caouette is available on DVD through the Minnesota Historical Society's online store at http://shop.mnhs.org.
