A LEGACY OF HOPE

The Legacy of the West Broad Street Young Men’s Christian Association: A Legacy of Hope

In 1947 visionary leaders in Savannah, including Rev. Ralph Mark Gilbert and W.W. Law, created the West Broad Street YMCA for Black soldiers returning from WWII as these brave veterans were legally not allowed to utilize the whites only Savannah Y. After several attempts to integrate, it was determined that chartering a separate Y was required. Following several locations, the West Broad Street YMCA opened its doors at 714 West Broad Street to provide temporary housing and recreation.

With this beginning, the West Broad Street YMCA became one of 300 such Black YMCA’s in the country. Also known as Heritage Y’s, there are now only 7 such Y’s left in the country. While the need for segregated Y’s has past, these Heritage YMCA’s stand as testimony to the hard won battles of the past and the ongoing work of the present. They teach our children that freedom comes with a price and that we stand today because others rose up ahead of us.

In time, the Y became the center of family and recreational activities on bustling West Broad. In keeping with the Y mission of serving body, spirit, and mind, the West Broad Street YMCA provided athletic activities, housed Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, created opportunities for educational advancement, and served as a safe haven for many children and their families.

In 1968, the City of Savannah, in cooperation with the Housing Authority of Savannah, purchased 4 acres of land on May Street, one block west of West Broad Street. On this property, the City constructed a 25,000 square foot state-of-the-art recreational and community center.

For years, the Y continued to thrive and flourish. Its mission of serving the whole person never wavered and it continued to provide necessary services to its neighbors, the residents of Kayton and Frasier Homes, as well as the broader down-town community. In 1999, Chatham County arranged for a 6,000 square foot childcare facility to be built on the property.

Despite the best of intentions, the Y could not remain current with the changes in the declining incomes of the neighborhood it served nor keep pace with a diminishing amount of available funding. As funds were lost, so too were the programs and services. The facility also began to suffer from lack of routine maintenance and repeated acts of vandalism.

But a core of dedicated individuals refused to see the Y die. Committed to the community and seeing the Y as a necessary and vital resource, these people pooled their resources – financial, material, intellectual, and political – to make the Y a center for the community. With the assistance of YUSA, the West Broad Street YMCA began its resurgence in 2008.

Today, the Y continues to rebuild its facility and its programs as it serves to help people move out of poverty. It houses an early learning program for children 6 weeks to 4 years, a before and after school program, an alternative for expelled middle school age children, afternoon tutorials, a public library, a strong summer program, as well as a variety of enrichment and recreation programs.