By Debra Messick

CAMBRIDGE -- Over the past few years, Alex and Lisa Green have poured their heart and soul into growing Harriet Tubman Tours.

But while that effort has been underway, they’ve also been busy with another labor of love, nonprofit Harriet Tubman Center for Cultural and Educational Advancement (HTCCEA), and its cornerstone headquarters, The Harriet Tubman Freedom Center.

“For Lisa, education has always been an important focus. A while back we began doing tours for students of historically under resourced Title I schools, as part of the nonprofit. Now, with this building, we can offer additional activities and events for youngsters, and for the community," Mr. Green said.

The soon-to-be-opened Center, a strikingly impressive, soaring white and brick edifice, seems as if it had been destined for its mission of Tubman-inspired educational enrichment and community outreach.

Though currently rezoned for museum and educational purposes, (with the surrounding neighborhood’s blessing, according to Green), the 1980s building’s last purpose had been to house a Church of Latter-Day Saints congregation, so an element of providence may have indirectly been involved.

Though vacant for the last seven years, the edifice and 2.75-acre property (including 70 parking spaces), was still owned by the Church organization, which was fully supportive of its new mission, Green acknowledged.

“They let us keep a number of things and made the whole process of transferring ownership as simple and seamless as possible,” he said.

After three years in the works, the Greens were finally able to move into the structurally sound building, begin organizing the space, and refurbish the interior.

The extensive overhead lighting has already been replaced, with timers and sensors added. A new, commercial kitchen is set to considerably upgrade the current kitchen area, allowing for regular Tour feasts, family reunions and entertainment offerings, and nutrition activities, including a food pantry and garden, Mr. Green said.

The numerous rooms lining the hallways alongside the large former sanctuary, will be repainted, and a Harriet Tubman portrait by Baltimore artist and Green friend Poncho Brown, plus a historical timeline rendering also decorating a main wall.

Because the carpet could no longer be matched, new carpeting is on the way, Green mentioned, especially needed while transitioning the raised pulpit area into a stage.

With 9 furnaces, revamping the heating system is being strategically addressed, while necessary water treatment will be completed within the next 45 days.

While being prepared for a Spring grand opening the Center has already welcomed a church group from Virginia taking the Tubman Tour. The group enjoyed a meal concluding the day’s travels before heading home.

Those meals will incorporate a regular Tour feature, with the business renting space from HTCCEA, and featuring traditional favorites like macaroni & cheese, fried chicken and fish, dishes, seasonal fresh greens, and desserts like sweet potato pie, according to Mr. Green.

With the couples’ catering business background, Bar B Q and Crab Feasts will likely also be featured on the menu at some point, and at separate fundraisers and festivals at the Center, Green suggested.

People are already reaching out, he disclosed, including the Maryland Congressional Black Caucus, which recently booked its first visit.

Discussions are also underway to host Blacks in Marine Science. A banner representing the group is already hanging in the Freedom Center’s Museum and Gift Shop Space, whose set up is well underway, Green noted.

Currently featuring several of his own historic prints and posters, along with art from his African sculpture collection, Green hopes to also welcome traveling exhibits, such as artifacts seen on the Ben’s Ten segment of the recent WMDT presentation.

One room in the building has been reserved as a film/media area, where MDT and other related shows and films can be viewed by visitors, Green disclosed.

While the spirit of Harriet Tubman will be the Center’s guiding force, the Museum will also help shed light on other figures tied to Eastern Shore African American history, such as Frederick Douglas, Jacob Jackson, William Still, and many others, Green added.

Other facets will be represented, as well, including the community of Black watermen and seafood purveyors in Bellevue, outside Oxford, reflecting his own personal history.

Photos showing his grandfather, father, and other family members at work and artifacts, including his grandfather's handcrafted tools, already hold places of honor in a dedicated corner of the museum.

Central to the Greens’ vision is the room where Lisa plans to teach sewing, jewelry making, and other crafting skills, already featuring extensive bookshelves for library resources.

Next door a dedicated beauty education area is planned, where registered professionals are set to instruct in hair care, styling, and braiding.

Just down the hall, another room houses Green’s private collection of a different variety of artifact, representations depicting negative cultural stereotypes, which used to be commonplace in mainstream American society. That collection includes figurines, food labels, and even antique sheet music for songs such as “Pullman Porter Blues” and others.

Mr. Green feels that the collection is an important addition for visitors to the Center, a way of restarting crucial conversations about the less savory but prevalent aspects of Black History and American culture for so many years.

“You don't ever really know how people will react to seeing those items, but it's important to not just bury that history, in order to move forward,” he said.

It's all a part of the Center’s overall mission to educate and empower the next generations, he explained.

For more information, visit http://www.htccea.com, call 866-227-9375, or email harriettubmancenter21@gmail.com