HELP US CARRY A 50 LEGACY OF JUSTICE, JOY AND RESISTANCE INTO THE FUTURE!

Written By Melody Capote

Dear Community, 

On behalf of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), it is an honor to invite you to a truly historic occasion: CCCADI’s 50th Anniversary. This milestone is a rare achievement for a Black-led arts and cultural institution.

For fifty years, CCCADI has been an essential hub for Afro-Diasporic artistic and cultural life. While rooted in our East Harlem community, CCCADI has served as a “living bridge” connecting communities of African descent across New York City, the Americas and the world.  Our work, which reaches from Harlem to Brazil, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti, Nigeria, and beyond, is now more globally resonant and more vital to our cultural survival than ever. We firmly believe that as long as race remains a factor in America, Black networks and institutions like ours will always be paramount—making our existence the ultimate act of resistance.

The impact of this organization is deeply personal to me.

Founded by my aunt, Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, with my mother, Laura Moreno Gago, by her side, the legacy we have established is truly remarkable. Never intended as a family business, CCCADI began in our Bronx home, where family members volunteered or worked. As the saying goes, it takes a village, and it certainly did—my brother, cousins, nieces, children and husband all contributed to the development of this phenomenal organization. In those early years, it fueled conversations about our family, history, and culture that directly informed CCCADI's work. Those memories will forever dance in my heart!

A major highlight of our anniversary year will be the tribute to our founder, Dr. Marta Moreno Vega. Her visionary leadership established one of our nation's most enduring institutions dedicated to Afro-Diasporic arts, cultural memory, scholarly research, and community preservation. This tribute will recognize Dr. Vega's extraordinary achievements, exceptional leadership, and the countless cultural leaders her work has inspired.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, we are launching a series of events and opportunities. Your participation will be key in shaping CCCADI's future for the next 50 years!

Here are 3 ways you can join us:

  1. Volunteer: Assist with events set up for family programs, welcome visitors in our space, or logistics support for community concerts such as AfriBembe. Sign up here.

  2. Attend: Come to one of our signature events with your family and friends. See our Spring 2026 Program Calendar.

  3. Donate: Give $50 for 50 years of service! You can make a one-time donation here or become a monthly sustainer. 

By supporting this once-in-a-generation anniversary, you will ensure that CCCADI enters its next half-century with the stability, resources, visibility, and momentum our institution deserves. Your participation and support will powerfully amplify our theme—Carrying a 50 Year Legacy of  Justice, Joy and Resistance into the Future—and underscore the importance of sustaining Black-led cultural institutions rooted in community, history, and global diasporic connection.


Executive Director

Sincerely,

Melody Capote

Melody Capote was appointed executive director of CCCADI in 2018. She began her long tenure at the organization in 1984 and throughout the years has established herself as a leader in arts administration and cultural activism. She is a vocal and bold voice in advocating for cultural equity, racial and social justice for African descendant communities.

Prior to assuming the role of executive director, Melody was instrumental in the creation and successful implementation of the capital campaign that secured funding from public and private sectors to renovate a landmarked firehouse into a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of El Barrio (East Harlem) which opened its doors in 2016.

Looking to expand audiences for CCCADI, Melody established creative and enduring collaborations with cultural partners like Los Hermanos Fraternos de Loiza/Loiza Festival of El Barrio, Hostos Center for Arts & Culture, Taino Towers, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (La Casita Project, MidSummer Night Swing and Lincoln Center Out of Doors); The Dwyer Cultural Center, and the Apollo Theater, among others.

Experienced in development, government relations, external affairs, and special event programming, she has also supervised and mentored countless individuals who have gone on to pursue careers in the nonprofit arts field and other community-based organizations.

Melody's leadership in challenging the dual pandemics of Covid-19 and continued systemic racism and police violence, has resulted in the development of important CCCADI initiatives such as; the organization’s successful pivot to digital programs designed for all ages, the creation of CCCADI’s Anti-Racism Webinar Series for leaders of mainstream arts and culture organizations to examine personal, programmatic and organizational biases, an all-digital professional development fellowship for artists economically impacted by Covid-19, and the creation of #ArtsGoBlack, a campaign demanding actionable change be instituted by arts and culture institutions and the philanthropic community that funds these entities.

Melody is a Bronx native and graduate of The City College of New York, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies with a major in Dance and a minor in Black and Latino Studies. She is a New School Tennenbaum Leadership Institute Fellow, and received her Not-for-Profit Executive Management Certification from Columbia University. Melody is currently one of the first 12 arts leaders selected to participate in The Pinkerton Advanced Leadership Network launched after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police.

https://www.cccadi.org/staff
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