Glynis Johns described a break-in at the Black Scranton Project Center for Arts & Culture as traumatic and scary.
On the afternoon of Dec. 9, an unidentified man wielding a pocket knife gained unauthorized entry to the building on North Main Avenue in Scranton, officials said.
Although nobody was injured and the property didn’t sustain any major damage, the incident led officials to launch the Locks & Legacy: BSPCAC Security Fund in an effort to improve security measures around the property.
Donations will help officials make important upgrades such as reinforced locks, advanced alarm systems and expanded surveillance cameras.
“It’s more of a need because we don’t really get that much grant support,” said Johns, founder and CEO of the Black Scranton Project. “It takes a lot of effort for us to actually move as a nonprofit, especially with a team of three. It’s been pretty difficult just to keep up with everything, and then this happened. It’s up to us to continue to make the space safer so we can have it open to the public.”
Johns estimates it will cost more than $25,000 to make all the necessary improvements including replacing a door, installing new locks, adding more cameras and upgrading security systems.
She noted the nonprofit already raised about $3,000 to $4,000, which allowed officials to start purchasing additional cameras.
“I’m grateful for the people who support us and follow along with what we’re doing and have helped us with donations,” Johns said. “I’m hoping we can raise enough funds to do all the upgrades. The main issue is the door. Because it’s an old bank security door, it’s not just a simple project.”
Other than making a monetary donation, community members can help the organization in other ways, such as spreading information about its mission, following developments on social media or offering expertise with security systems or building infrastructure.
In 2018, Johns created a Black-owned business directory for the Northeast Pennsylvania region to bring attention to those firms.
“When I travel, I always look up and support Black businesses all around the country and world,” she said. “I know it’s a resource many people use and we get submissions regularly. It’s really cool to see how it’s grown. I love that it’s become one of the most visited pages on our website.”
In 2019, Johns secured an empty storefront at the Marketplace at Steamtown for a six-week pop-up installation. The exhibit attracted 1,200 visitors and led to her forming the Black Scranton Project, which was incorporated on Juneteenth that same year.
Two years later, the nonprofit received the vacant bank building at 1902 N. Main Ave. as a donation from PNC Bank.
The Black Scranton Project aims to uplift the creative and cultural spirit in the Scranton area by supporting community artistic and ethnic representation in an effort to elevate the core of neighborhood culture, per a note on its website.
Johns strives to increase the number of programs held at the center with a goal of hosting at least one event a month — outside of June and February — throughout 2025.
“We try our best to do as many events as we can throughout the year,” Johns said. “Black History Month is coming up (in February) and we do a monthlong event series, and Juneteenth is one of our biggest events with a block party. We’ve collaborated with a lot of organizations in the community such as the Scranton Fringe Fest, the Marywood Stars Program, and other local organizations like Rhythm & Rhymes and Beyond Ur Expectations. We try to integrate with the community, especially since we’re not open 24/7. We’ve had private events and meetings of other organizations, and in between we try to open when we can to share local history.”
