Sunshine Cultural Arts Center’s impact on East St. Louis
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (First Alert 4) - The rhythm of a drum echoes through the Sunshine Cultural Arts Center, serving as both a call and a tether to the rich cultural heritage that Sylvester “Sunshine” Lee has dedicated his life to preserving.
“Culture is a way of life. We have now been doing this for 47 long years,” Lee said as he reflected on his life’s work at the center.
Founded in East St. Louis, the center has become a space for young minds to discover their history and embrace their heritage through the arts. In hundreds of photos posted along the walls show the center’s clear mission: to teach the next generation about who they are and where they come from.
“God gives everybody a gift now. What they do with their gift is totally up to them,” Lee said.
The spark for the center’s mission can be traced back to a legendary figure in the world of dance and culture: Katherine Dunham. Known for bringing dances from various Black traditions to a global audience, Dunham was also the founder of the first self-ing Black modern-dance troupe in the United States. Her legacy and her work would leave a lasting impact on Lee’s life and work.
“She gave me the name ‘Sunshine.’ Every time you’re in here, you light this place up, you know?” Lee re. “And so I took the name, right? And yeah, that fire was lit.”
In the 1970s, Dunham moved to East St. Louis with a mission to spark a cultural awakening in the community. Lee, who was a young dancer at the time, was deeply influenced by her presence and teachings. Today, Lee continues Dunham’s mission to preserve the culture, and he believes that teaching the history behind the art form is just as important as mastering the movements themselves.
“You know, and I have to be in the room to make sure that you’re teaching it the right and the correct way in which I gave it to you,” Lee explains. “Not only do you need to know the rhythm, the dance, but you’ve got to tell the history so they can be a part of that dance.”
For nearly five decades, Lee has been ing on the Dunham technique to students ranging in age from 8 to 80, all free of charge.
“If people wanna , come on down,” Lee says with an open invitation to anyone who wants to learn.
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