DAVENPORT, Iowa — The former Lincoln Elementary School building in Davenport is bustling with more activity, as a new non-profit moves in.
"Together Making a Better Community" (TMBC) officially opened its doors on Monday, Feb. 1. Executive Director Tracy Singleton has big plans for the building, now being called the Lincoln Center.
"We want people to walk in the door and know without a doubt we are unapologetically black," she says. "That this is for the black community, to help the black community, to empower the black community. And by doing that we make for a better Quad Cities.”
There are already several businesses and non-profits inside, including QuickDrills. The basketball non-profit for area kids has been at the Lincoln Center for about a month.
"I’ve kind of been on my own," says Program Director Nasir Shabazz. "So it’s always good to get with other people and do something as a joint venture. And you get better and stronger with numbers.”
Singleton says TMBC is working to get more financial support from the community. And there are big plans to fill about two dozen, empty rooms in the school building.
First will be a food pantry, something the entire neighborhood can use. Singleton says the area is a food desert, with hardly any food options within walking distance.
She says TMBC is working to get a walk-in medical clinic open, especially so black people can get the medical care they need from people who look like them.
There are also plans for an incubator for black-owned businesses and non-profits. Singleton says there are many black people who are doing good work out of their own pocket already but don't have the official non-profit paperwork to unlock additional funding.
"Essentially, the goal is this becomes a hub for the African American community," Singleton says.
Right now, Singleton says they're working with students in the Davenport school district that have fallen behind on their work because of remote learning. She hopes that program continues and expands, even after the coronavirus pandemic is over, to help black students excel in school.
TMBC at the Lincoln Center is planning to hold a grand opening this summer, the weekend of Juneteenth.
