Carol Bebelle

Co-Founder and Executive Director of Ash� Cultural Arts Center

"My dear New Orleans, I was born here, I live my life here and this is where I will someday die," Carol Bebelle wrote in a piece for NPR.

"Add me to the loooong list of New Orleans believers, well wishers and mojo makers who are wanting, working and willing you into a new era of New Orleans brilliance!"

And that list has gotten longer - Bebelle's ongoing dedication to revitalizing New Orleans has inspired others to join. After more than 20 years working in the public sector as an administrator and planner of education, social and health programs, she realized there were some persistent roots to these problems in communities.

"We invest so much money, time and energy in the attempt to solve modern problems. And often, the solution strategy has a fatal flaw - there's no assigned strategy for the cultural fertilizing that is needed to nurture the growth of the intended change," Bebelle says.

Coming of age during the civil rights era, Bebelle came to appreciate that race mattered and that racism wasn't always intentional.

"I learned that racism had been an acculturated value and behavior," she says. "I also realized that creating a new cultural awareness and foundation was necessary to neutralize and replace the cultural triggers we have to racism."

Bebelle recognized that the power of culture and creativity combined could unleash progress, improvement and economic inclusion for much of the under-represented members of the New Orleans community.

In 1998, Bebelle and Douglas Redd founded Ash� Cultural Arts Center in Central City. Ash� is a West African word meaning "the ability to make things happen." The center has become a pivotal force for the revitalization and transformation of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard.

Ash�'s mission is to use art and culture to support community development by providing opportunities for art presentations, artist support and the creation of partnerships that amplify outreach and support efforts. It is an initiative of Efforts of Grace, Inc., a nonprofit organization that creates and supports programs, activities and creative works emphasizing the contributions of people of African descent.

"We use art as our tool because of the power it carries to move past our defenses and to touch us," Bebelle says. 

- M.D.