MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – More than 1,500 people gathered Wednesday for the long-awaited opening of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture in Madison.

Before the doors even opened, lines stretched down the block as community members waited for their first chance to step inside the new south side space years in the making. The center on West Badger Road will host performances, lectures, film screenings, youth programming and community events throughout the year.

For CEO, Chief Visionary and Founder Reverend Dr. Alex Gee Jr., seeing the turnout after years of planning was emotional.

“Oh, my goodness. This feels so surreal because we’ve been designing this and dreaming about it,” Gee said. “And then you wonder, will the weather work? Will people really show up? There’s a line around the block.”

Inside the center, visitors explored galleries, gathering spaces and performance areas designed to celebrate Black culture, creativity and community.

Gee said the project was always meant to create a space that both pours into Madison’s Black community and brings people together.

“This is a win for the city, for the state of Wisconsin,” Gee said. “In the face of erasures of culture, people are saying, we still want to know about each other because we can all learn from each other’s culture.”

For Victoria Hopkins, the scene outside the center represented a dramatic change from the Madison she first encountered years ago.

“When I would go out to the grocery stores or Walmart or Woodman’s, I always would look for people of my color,” Hopkins said. “And I never saw them, not many.”

Now, she says, watching people from all backgrounds stand side by side outside the center felt powerful.

“When we look outside, this is like a culture shock almost because so much diversity,” Hopkins said. “People are in line, side by side, waiting to get up in this place. And this just speaks. Wealth, beauty. This is wonderful. This is a wonderful place.”

Co-founder Lilada Gee said opening day marked the culmination of years of work — down to choosing furniture, colors and even individual design details throughout the building.

“To be in the whole process and go through the design work and then picking out furniture and then colors and then being here, seeing it in 3D is absolutely amazing,” she said. “It’s a beautiful space, but there also is a spiritual depth that’s here that you feel, and that’s the thing I love the most.”

Organizers said more than 1,500 people RSVP’d ahead of the opening, not including those who simply showed up throughout the day.

Lilada Gee said one of the most meaningful parts of the space is creating an environment where Black artists and creatives feel welcomed and protected.

“Many people who have followed my story over the last few years know that I encountered a lot of violence in our high art spaces in town,” she said. “I feel at home here. I feel safe here. And that same stuff is not going to happen to me or other Black artists in this space. I’m proudest about that.”

Gee said he hopes the center becomes a place where people can gather, learn from one another and celebrate culture together for generations to come.

For him, the opening was also deeply personal.

“I grew up on this side of town. I delivered newspapers across the street,” Gee said. “To be able to do something and give back to my community that’s given so much to me, it’s really a dream come true. My mom would be so proud of this moment.”

More information about upcoming events, programming and the center’s mission can be found on The Center for Black Excellence and Culture’s website.

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