Marshall L. Davis, Sr.
For the past 40 years, Mr. Marshall Davis has successfully served as Managing Director of a cultural institution that now bears his name, the Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. Dedicated to transforming the lives of children and youth through the arts, Mr. Davis designed a comprehensive arts curriculum providing thousands of students with methodical instruction and rich artistic experiences. Mr. Davis has created an oasis in Liberty City for training children in the arts and for convening Miamians to celebrate cultural heritage through extraordinary performances, exhibitions and exceptional training programs in dance, theater, visual arts, and music. Under Mr. Davis’ leadership, the Center has produced prominent alumni, including Tarell Alvin McCraney (award-winning playwright and Oscar-winner for Moonlight), Fergie Phillippe-Auguste (Hamilton), and Robert Battle (former Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater). He has been awarded honors such as the Arsht Education Champion Award, recognition as a Miami-Dade County Public Schools District 2 Honoree, and accolades from the Miami-Dade Community Affairs Office of Black Affairs, The Children’s Trust, Miami Children Initiative, Black Archives of Miami-Dade County, African-American Achievers, and the Florida Folklife Council. Mr. Davis’ determination is directly responsible for the success of this catalytic arts center. He has earned the community’s gratitude, admiration, and respect. He inspires his team to strive for the same excellent standards that he has epitomized for more than four decades. He is one of those rare individuals whose life’s work has produced a legacy of better lives.