Currents
Last Monday, I toured the National Black Theater (NBT), one of Harlem’s beacons of Black cultural preservation and creative thought when it comes to the arts and social enterprise. NBT’s founder, Dr. Barbara Ann Theer, opened the organization in 1968 as the first revenue-generating Black arts complex, and her vision laid the groundwork for the trailblazing institution that her daughter Sade Lythcott is leading today.
Quick selfie from the residential side of the building’s lobby. Videos and photos were not allowed during the tour while the building is under construction.
Located at the corner of 5th Avenue and 125th Street, this now 22-floor mixed-use complex is an apartment building, the future home of NBT reimagined, a future educational space for one of Harlem Children’s Zone’s after-school programs, as well as a commercial property for future tenants. Sade gave the most amazing tour as she interpreted her mother’s vision along with how she has taken it to the next level by partnering with Ray, a multi-family investment platform, to rezone the building for increased density in building size and occupancy.
I have been struggling all week to put words to the experience I had. I wanted so badly to take notes as Sade was speaking so I could capture some of her beautiful quotes, but I didn’t want to appear disengaged since most of my note-taking happens by phone. You’ll just have to take my word that she is brilliant and is carrying on the brilliant legacy of her mother with this building and the artistic programming that will happen within it.
Images of the new National Black Theater next to the building the Dr. Theer buiilt decades ago. She had the foresight to purchase the land on which the building sat and now from this 22-story facilty, the views of Manhattan are unmatched by other similarly sized buildings
When I was thinking about the name of this week’s email, I wanted to name it “Legacy,” but realized I had already used it when I wrote about meeting the man who, in the 1990s, opened the only Ben & Jerry’s in Harlem. Sade’s tour of the institution her mother created from her imagination brought me back to the impact a parent can have if and when they are doing mission-aligned, meaningful work. Neither Sade’s mother nor Sade ever thought she would be the person to carry on her mother’s legacy. After Dr. Theer’s untimely death in 2008, her six-month agreement to be NBT’s interim director has lasted almost 20 years.
The currents of legacy and purpose that flow through NBT’s story resonate deeply with my own entrepreneurial journey. I think about the concept of inheritance and legacy a lot. It comes up in many of my conversations with people, especially when they ask if the kids will take on the ice cream business when they’re older. I can’t speak for what our kids will want to do when they’re adults, nor would I push them into this business because we created it. For us, starting this business was about solving our present challenges, not predetermined futures for our descendants.
Ila with her track mate. They qualified for a regional running competition and set sail on Friday to compete. Her identity as an athlete has been completely self-guided. Not sure this one is coming into the ice cream business any time soon.
But, as we approach our 10-year mark and my Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program comes to an end, making a plan for my exit is also top of mind. How I want to leave this company has to be part of my present planning for today and tomorrow. What is Sugar Hill Creamery in five, 10, even 20 years from now? Will it be Harlem’s little secret or will we grow it to be a dessert titan representing and preserving all that Harlem loves for others to enjoy?
In witnessing Sade’s stewardship of her mother’s vision, I’m reminded that legacy isn’t about a literal continuation of someone’s work, but about how that work can inform future iterations of it. Just as NBT has transformed from a cultural center to a multi-disciplinary, mixed-used space, our businesses and professional endeavors are living entities. They will breathe, adapt, and grow beyond our initial imaginings if we truly enjoy the work we are doing and that joy is visible to others.
As I touched on in my “Legacy” email, the true measure of our work isn’t in maintaining exact blueprints, but in creating frameworks flexible enough for future generations to reimagine, reinvent, and ultimately, to honor the spirit of our original intentions.
I can’t wait to see how Nick’s and my current professional decisions inform Ila, Zadie, and Nico’s outlooks and future choices.
With you,
Petrushka
Your Local Ice Cream Lady & Life/Business Coach
P.S. Today’s the day to put in your Thanksgiving ice cream deep dish, mini pie orders on Goldbelly if you want them shipped and Tuesday is the deadline for our 8” in-person pie pick-ups in Harlem. Each of our team members will be receiving a pie to take to their dinners and we will bring one to ours. Don’t miss out on bringing a pie to yours. They’re only available for Thanksgiving!
