Highland Park’s Avalon Village Celebrates Grand Opening of The Homeroom House and Love’s Library 

It’s been close to six years in the making, but perseverance has paid off for those with a vested interest in Highland Park’s Avalon Village.  Amid a festive atmosphere, dozens of Highland Park citizens and other well-wishers cheered recently as the red ribbon was cut to officially unveil The Homeroom House.   

“We really did this,” said Avalon Village founder and CEO Shamayim “Shu” Harris, affectionately called Mama Shu.  “I can’t believe that it has been over five years because lots of things have happened, but nothing has deterred our focus, our love, and our purpose from continuing to build what we have here.  And whatever we want to manifest here in the Village, we will get it done.” 
 

Shortly after the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the base of The Homework House’s front steps, Mama Shu escorted people into the 111-year-old, three-story renovated house, which once stood abandoned and was on the demolition list.  Inside, The Homework House features beautiful tables, chairs, a computer lab, a STEM Lab, a music room, and other items and backdrops emphasizing an atmosphere created for learning.     

“I wanted a place where children could come and do their homework in a quiet and safe environment,” said Mama Shu.  “The Homeroom House will be available to all children in Highland Park to have access to tutors, computer and STEM labs, and other services for school-aged children.” 

In any successful learning environment created for young people to do homework and navigate through other learning activities, books and more books are necessary.  The hundreds of books throughout The Homework House exemplify that the renovated facility is for gaining knowledge.  To emphasize the importance of books, Mama Shu led a ribbon-cutting ceremony that unveiled The Homeroom House’s Love’s Library.    

“This library is dedicated to the late Mrs. Love Blackwell, the city of Highland Park’s former First Lady who was married to the late Mayor Robert B. Blackwell,” Mama Shu said.  “Love’s Library is on the first floor and  spreads into another room on this floor and another room upstairs.  Basically, Love’s Library in The Homework House is everywhere because Love is everywhere.” 

Present to witness the opening and naming of the library were the adult children of Love and Bob Blackwell:  Brenda Love Mims, June Hatcher, Arthur Blackwell, and Bobbi Blackwell.  Other relatives and friends were on hand to celebrate the occasion.  

“This is an honor that is so worthy of who our mother was,” said Mims on behalf of her siblings.  “She loved reading, having developed a lifelong thirst for reading books and learning while growing up in  Albany, Ga. in the 1920s.  Because segregation didn’t allow Black people to go to the library at the time, our mother, as a little girl, was escorted by a prominent white woman in Albany.  At the library, our mother picked out books that she wanted to read.  Under the guise that the books were for her own little girl, the white woman checked the books out for our mother.” 

The Avalon Village, once a blighted block located on Avalon St. between Woodward and Second Aves. in Highland Park, was created and transitioned from blight to beauty, after Mama Shu’s two-year-old son, Jakobi RA, was killed in 2007 by a hit and run driver.  She sought to build a safe zone for youth and adults in the community.  Yet, in 2021, her 23-year-old son was shot to death in the Village. 

However, Mama Shu continues to build Avalon Village, which features Jakobi RA Park, a premier outside basketball court, a village hall for events, and the Goddess Marketplace.  The Marketplace was repurposed from a shipping container for human use.  Some containers in the Village are independently powered by solar technology for heating and cooling purposes.  In addition, The Avalon Village presents youth and senior empowerment activities and programs.  In 2016, Ellen DeGeneres of The Ellen Show donated a prefabricated house to the Village, which serves as its welcome and business center.  

“The work that Mama Shu does is so important,” said State Senator Adam Hollier, who attended the event.  “She has taken issues and a really tragic experience to make things positive for so many young people in Highland Park.”    

For The Avalon Village, the beat goes on.  

“We are building even more,” Mama Shu proclaimed.  “We are going to make sure that we are strong here in Highland Park.  This is where I live.  This is where I was born.  I’m a citizen that said, ‘I want to clean up the block and do something to empower our children, teens, families, and seniors in Highland Park.’ ”