The Legacy Building Project
Building Akron's first African American cultural center and museum complex.
Support AROPI
The Legacy Building Project is our capital campaign for a permanent home. It is not the whole of what AROPI does. Beyond that campaign, AROPI runs the day-to-day work that gives Akron's Rites of Passage community its foundation, and a gift to AROPI directly is what keeps that work running today, not years from now when a building is finished.
Every participant who comes through AROPI moves through the Rites of Passage three-stage process: Separation, Transition, and Integration, guided at each stage by our Council of Elders and by Facilitators trained and certified through the AROPI Training Institute. Preparing and certifying those Facilitators, maintaining the curriculum, and holding the ceremonies and rituals that mark each stage all carry real, ongoing costs. That is what your gift to AROPI covers.
Your gift also supports community programs like the annual HBCU Experience, which sends Akron students and families to Historically Black Colleges and Universities for college fairs, campus tours, and cultural immersion, in partnership with the Akron NAACP, Akron Urban League, and other community organizations.
AROPI does not yet accept donations online, so for now, give by mail.
Make checks payable to
Akron Rites of Passage Institute (AROPI)
1180 Slosson St
Akron, Ohio 44320
Support the Legacy Building Project
The Legacy Building Project is a community-driven initiative led by AROPI to build a 25,000-square-foot cultural center and museum complex on Rhodes Avenue in the Sherbondy Hill neighborhood, near the decommissioned Innerbelt corridor. Estimated at $11.5 million for construction, the project is part of a $20 million capital campaign that has already raised $450,000 toward that goal, including $600,000 in state investment over the past two budget cycles.
Cultural Preservation
A permanent home for Black history in Akron, preserving stories, artifacts, and lived experiences while creating a space where culture is documented, celebrated, and passed forward.
Economic Empowerment
A business incubator and tech trade center that support entrepreneurs, small businesses, and workforce development, creating pathways to ownership, income, and long-term financial stability.
Innovation & Sustainability
A forward-thinking space integrating green technology, digital access, and modern infrastructure, positioning the community at the intersection of culture and future-focused innovation.
Community Ownership
Built with the community, not just for it: a community auditorium and community garden creating shared spaces for gathering, leadership, and intergenerational connection.
This will transform a community that has been devastated by the harms and ills of past decision making.N.J. Akbar, Administrative Lead, Legacy Building Project
A soft opening for the project's proof-of-concept space, connected to Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Sherbondy Hill, is planned for this fall, with the museum's first exhibition expected in February. Every gift moves this project closer to completion.
Give NowYou'll be securely directed to the Legacy Building Project's donation page to complete your gift.