The Biko Transformation Center is a spiritual community located in East Bushwick and bordering the Ocean Hill and East New York area of Brooklyn. It provides leadership training, educational and entertainment programs and services for the neighborhood. The Biko Center works to develop the cultural life of the community and offer space for neighborhood activities and find funding to support our outreach programs. Stephen Bantu Biko (1946 –1977) whose photograph is in our logo, was a non-violent anti-apartheid activist in South Africa. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the anti-apartheid movement. While living, his writings and activism attempted to empower blacks, and he was famous for his slogan "black is beautiful", which he described as meaning: "man, you are okay as you are, begin to look upon yourself as a human being". He also coined the expression, “I write what I like”. Whether African, African-American, Caribbean, Latino, Caucasian or other experiences of the African Diaspora...our children, youth and adults can find a healthy gathering place, build support networks and advance their goals, and in the process become better prepared to succeed in our area and beyond. We collaborate with our block associations, neighborhood churches and organizations to produce events that give the community opportunity to explore and dialogue and cross lines of diversity. We instituted classes and a performance ensemble to develop and refine artistic skills for our youth. We have available space for rehearsal, study time, dance studio. Our Biko Arts Collective’s services available for reasonable rates. .

Our Building:

The building was renovated by the Episcopal Society of St. Francis twenty-five years ago. The Episcopal Franciscan Brothers (www.s-s-f.org) brought religious, spiritual, and practical services to the neighborhood for over twenty years. In spring of 2006, the brothers retired to their house in Long Island and leased the building to the new Biko Transformation Center.

Our diverse and evolving neighborhood has been underserved to date. In the past, the Franciscans at this site have organized free after school and summer programs and have offered their house spaces for community events and church services. Now the Biko Transformation Center is a registered 501c3 incorporated in the State of New York to provide charitable and community service activities. In this incarnation, classes are offered at reasonable rates with tuition assistance available for those in need. The resident and neighborhood members of the Biko Arts Collective who organized in 2007, are committed to providing their services such as homework help (by our volunteers), photography, videography, and computer services/repair (at reasonable rates).

We received $20,000 grant in 2008 to help the artists with equipment and site improvements to make the programs and artists more self supporting. We are a can do group, rather than a do for group.