SHAPE Community Center is a community center located in the
Third Ward area of
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
.
Founded on June 1, 1969 by
Lynn Eusan and Deloyd Parker, SHAPE is an acronym for Self Help for African People through Education.
The center provides an array of multi-service programs, such as child care, after school programs, support groups, workshops, elder care, legal assistance, business incubation, and community enrichment events.
In 2023, SHAPE Community Center was designated one of eleven "Houston Cultural Treasures" by the BIPOC Arts Network and Fund for its work exposing Houston residents to the arts.
Since 1979, SHAPE has organized its Pan-African Cultural Festival on May 25 in celebration of
Africa Day
Africa Day (formerly African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day) is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organization of African Unity on 25 May 1963. It is celebrated in various countries on the African continent as well as ...
.
[{{Cite news , last=Takahashi , first=Paul , date=2019-05-25 , title=Pan African Festival celebrates history, culture , url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Pan-African-Festival-celebrates-history-culture-13896972.php , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526004859/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Pan-African-Festival-celebrates-history-culture-13896972.php , archive-date=2019-05-26 , access-date=2025-03-04 , work=HoustonChronicle.com , language=en-US , url-status=live ] The festival's purpose is to raise awareness of African history and culture among Black people in Houston. It has grown from 100 attendees in its first year to more than 1,000 coming to experience performances, food, and vendors.
Buildings
* Harambee Building, 3903 Almeda Road, Houston, TX 77004
* Nia Becnel Family Center, 3815 Live Oak Street, Houston, TX 77004
(temporarily closed due to fire damage)
2025 fire at the Nia Becnel Family Center
On January 19, 2025 an electrical fire broke out at the Family Center building on Live Oak street, causing an estimated $500,000 in damage to the building and destroying a great deal of memorabilia documenting Black history.
SHAPE has started a restoration campaign to raise $2.5 million to rebuild and restore the building along with its programs.
See also
*
Third Ward, Houston
Third Ward is an area of Houston, Texas, United States, that evolved from one of the six historic wards of the same name. It is located in the southeast Houston management district.
Third Ward, located inside the 610 Loop is immediately sout ...
References
External links
Official website
Third Ward, Houston
1969 establishments in Texas
Organizations based in Houston
African-American organizations