Voice & Viewpoint Staff Writer
On August 6th, WorldBeat Cultural Center’s Founder and Director, Makeda Cheatom, signed a 25 year lease renewal, establishing the cultural importance of the center to surrounding communities. A tent full of community members, council members, city officials, and San Diego’s Mayor Todd Gloria came out to show their love and support of WorldBeat’s impact.
Before Makeda Cheatom signed the lease she gave a few words of thanks, “I did not make this happen by myself. Everyone that helped us and has been here at the WorldBeat Cultural Center volunteering, serving the community, it’s your help that got us here.”
Libations, land acknowledgements, and Aztec and African dance performances commemorated WorldBeat’s achievements in the last 25 years. Guest speakers from Parks and Recreation, Balboa Park, and Councilmembers encouraged upcoming achievements in the next lease including a renovation of a “Cultural Plaza” that connects WorldBeat to the Centro Cultural De La Raza bridging the space with a stage and space for future collaborative events to bring the community together.
Mayor Todd Gloria addressed the WorldBeat community for injustices brought on by the city, “ We all know that [ Worldbeat Center] has not always been recognized or acknowledged until now, and that is regrettable. I feel that after 30 years we’re finally being able to make things right for the WorldBeat Center.”
“This lease agreement is an official recognition of a legacy , a dream, and a commitment to our community that spans three decades, it is a show of respect for this center’s presence,” continues Gloria.
The WorldBeat Cultural Center was founded in 1985 as Prophet World Beat productions until it found it’s first home in Old Town, San Diego as WorldBeat Center. The venue has welcomed emerging artists from many genres and in 1989, City Council approved it’s current location in Balboa Park. In 2013, the WorldBeat Center was designated as a ‘home for humanity’.
Under Makeda’s leadership the WorldBeat Center has been a shining light of cultural diversity and education for the community, offering a space where all communities can come together to learn, share, and grow.
“Let’s continue to make music, art, and culture our weapon for the future,” states Cheatom excitably.
