Above, Akiba Abaka, interim executive director, Edmund Barry Gaither, former executive director, Kafi Meadows, co-chairperson and niece of NCAAA founder Elma Lewis (from left) in front of the NCAAA museum in Roxbury. Photo by Don West Photography.
By Madyline Swearing, Special to the Reporter
Akiba Abaka can’t remember her life without art. Like many children, the Jamaican native dreamed of being a Hollywood star. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Abaka would respond with “directing” or “filmmaking.” The advice she got back was: “Begin in theatre.”
She wasn’t quite sure what theatre was, or how it would help her reach her goals, but as a child in Dorchester, endless opportunities were right around the corner.
Now, nearly 30 years later, Abaka has stepped into a new role in the arts, as interim executive director for the National Center of Afro-American Artists — one of New England’s premier institutions celebrating African-American and African diaspora art, history, and culture.
In middle school, Abaka joined the Strand Theatre’s Teen Players program, a now-defunct initiative that connected Boston teens with theatre production and stage acting. The after-school pastime sent her tumbling down a rabbit hole at the theatre. She soon became an usher at the Strand and was invited to participate in its summer internship. It was during that time, Abaka says, that she became captivated with production and house management.
“Because I was so amazed, I was never late,” she said. “I showed up to rehearsals on time. I showed up to usher on time. I did my best because I was engaged and I wanted to be there.”
Abaka’s history with the NCAAA goes back to 2004, when she walked up to the green employee entrance door of the center in Roxbury and asked then-Executive Director Edmund Barry Gaither if she could use the space to throw a party.
“The Cosby Show” actress Phylicia Rashad was in town, acting in a play at the Huntington Theatre, and Abaka wanted to welcome her and the cast to Boston. But at 24 years old, she couldn’t afford any local venues.
Gaither shared with her that the center had once served as a social hub when celebrities performed in the theater district, hosting talent like bandleaders Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. Abaka’s welcome party was a chance to bring that back, and Gaither said he’d partner with her for the event.
While Rashad couldn’t make it to the celebration, Abaka says, she had a great time with the other cast members and connected with Gaither afterwards. She remembers he said, “You’ll be ripe and ready when we need you.”
“In Akiba, with whom I’ve been in conversation for almost a decade,” Gaither said, “I saw someone who very much shared the vision that had been so inspiring to me, but was prepared to tailor that vision for a new millennium,.”
After dedicating more than half a century to the center, Gaither says it will be hard to walk away. He plans to stay involved, though not directly. With his new free time, he said, he’s looking forward to writing and traveling. The Caribbean, Senegal, and Ghana are on his list.
“Every organization needs change,” Gaither said. “No matter how devoted you are or how good you are, you have to roll over and make space for the new future.”
Akiba is currently immersed in her work teaching theatre at a public K-8 school in Roxbury, where she was recently recognized with the Wasabi Fenway Bowl Honor Roll. Since 2020, the award has honored more than 150 educators who have gone “above and beyond” to support their students with more than $140,000 of educational support granted.
Matt Shuman, the former instructional transformation coach at Abaka’s school, nominated her for the award. He works with teachers to improve instructional plans, and he noted that working with Abaka has completely changed his perspective.
“She is a jewel for the city,” the fifth-grade teacher said. “She is continuing a beautiful chain of leadership [at the NCAAA], and I couldn’t imagine a better person for it. I’m excited to bring my students to visit her.”
Abaka’s role as executive director will be made official after a fundraising campaign. She will oversee the center’s visual and performing arts programs, including its 55th annual production of “Black Nativity, ” an African-American gospel rendition of the classic nativity story, adapted from Langston Hughes’s 1963 production.
As for the future of the NCAAA, Abaka says fortification of the center’s infrastructure is a priority. The museum’s first floor is undergoing renovations to include restrooms and improve ADA accessibility. Renovations will continue to the third and fourth floors, Abaka said, and will hopefully open to the public in the near future. Once infrastructure is reinforced, priorities will shift to sourcing diverse talent and growing the center’s board, donor base and philanthropic community.
“Arts allow us to see ourselves and experience each other in unexplainably spiritual and divine ways that are integral to managing and understanding the human condition,” Abaka said. “Growing up in Dorchester, such a beautiful arts town, I never felt like I didn’t belong. That’s what I want to instill and pass on.”
This story is part of a partnership between the Dorchester Reporter and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
