Carl Maxey Center expanding resources for Black community

The Carl Maxey Center was part of Sandy Williams’ vision to offer resources to the Black community of the Inland Northwest, and promote racial equity and justice.

The building was vacant for the better part of a decade, but has since undergone quite the transformation.

“It used to be an old auto shop for a long time, and then it sat vacant for 10-12 years,” said Jillisa Winkler, program coordinator for the Carl Maxey Center.

But behind a dream and a vision, it was transformed into a building of opportunity.

“Not everyone saw the vision, but Sandy did, so she took it as an opportunity,” Winkler said. “It’s half a block’s worth of a building that could be used for something positive for this neighborhood.”

During a backyard barbeque, Sandy Williams explained her idea. After some convincing, she got the green light to purchase the building and give the Carl Maxey Center a new home.

The once-empty building is now home to an abundance of resources for the Black community.

“In the short time we’ve been here so far, we’ve done a lot with rental assistance and offering people connections to resources,” Winkler said. “We also do community events and gatherings.”

Other resources include business development, legal assistance, and after some help from the Extreme Team, a place for the youth to learn about technology and the arts.

“The library and the art gallery were things that we didn’t expect to get started until next year, so seeing them sort of coming together quickly has been a good positive after all of this. To see that people really meant it when they said the vision would continue,” Winkler said

The center hopes to institute a monthly art gallery featuring artists from the area. Portraits of both Sandy Williams and Carl Maxey have already been dedicated to the center as a tribute to their legacies.

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