Local bishop revives historic Black N.O. landmark

By C.C. Campbell-Rock
Contributing Writer

Scandals rocked the YWCA in Central City in 2021. From the James M. Singleton Charter School closure to questionable spending and fraudulent background checks of employees, the historic institution seemed bound for the ash heap of history.

Since 1905, the Dryades YMCA has been integral to New Orleans and the greater metropolitan area by providing thousands of Black youths and their families meaningful opportunities to learn, grow and thrive. The Dryades Early Childhood Education Center delivers care for infants through preschool-aged children. The YWCA’s Health and Wellness Center, summer day camps, family programming, special events, youth sports, teen leadership development, and aquatics program provide supplemental health and educational opportunities.

Bishop Tom Watson is an institution builder. Watson is the founder and senior pastor of Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries (located in Uptown and Algiers). He founded the Citywide Men’s Conference that featured a 1,000 Men March, the convener of the Citywide Summit on the African American Male, founder of the Youth March-for-Jobs Initiative and served on the Taskforce on Dropout Prevention and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Weed and Seed Crime Fighting Program.

When the scandal broke, and the closure of the James M. Singleton Charter School’s closure was imminent due to failing school performance scores and test scores, Bishop Watson stepped in as board chair in August 2022. He succeeded the late Barbara Lacen Keller, a longtime Central City advocate.

During the first seven months of his tenure as board chairman, Bishop Watson has dealt with legal challenges and helped the board develop a strategic plan to make the YWCA a forward-focused institution that deals with the spirit, mind, and body of its youth and adult members.

“Spirituality is the triad to physical and mental well-being,” said Watson. “So, the Health and Wellness Center at the Y will also see a facelift, making the programs more relevant and accessible to the community, especially seniors – and taking a more holistic approach.”

The YMCA Early Childhood Education Center is doubling its current capacity from 40 toddlers to accommodate a waitlist. In addition to immediate upgrades to the facilities and curriculum, Director Stephanie Cockerham will implement the Creative Curriculum, “a research-based best practice curriculum for early childhood and advancing the professional development of our entire staff,” Cockerham explains.

The Y’s new partnerships include a cooperative agreement with the City of New Orleans’ to bring the Job 1 Office operations to the Dryades YMCA’s Myrtle Banks Building on Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. “This is not just a tenant and landlord relationship but a flagship partnership that will yield vocational training opportunities and other workforce initiatives to Central City,” Watson says.

A partnership with the Council on Aging will sponsor daytime recreational activities for seniors. The organization plans to promote healthy eating through its Cyber Café, located at the old library building, providing high-speed Wi-Fi access.

Returning to the Y this year are the Zion Williamson Youth Basketball Camp and the Youth Summer Camp Program.

Watson understands that a sea-change in the operating culture is needed to stabilize the 118-year-old organization. “We will be recruiting new board members who are energized and ready to take the Dryades YMCA to new heights in its potential for this community,” he adds.

This article originally published in the March 13, 2023 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.