Dope! Lottery Winner To Use $50 Million To Rebuild Lost Black Community
This is some of the news that we need to be seeing these days.
A lucky man who hit the lotto for over $50 million in 2010 has been creating his plan to start rebuilding a historic black community that has dissipated over time, as many others in this country have.
“This commitment that I feel, that I have to go to that community and put my money where my mouth is,” explained Miguel Pilgram.According to Black Enterprise, in 2010 Pilgram, a Memphis, Tenn., native, won $52 million in the lottery and began investing his money, building a real estate empire. Now the millionaire has taken on his most ambitious project yet: rebuilding the Sistrunk Boulevard area of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., restoring the area that was once a center for black business to its former glory.The area was named after James Sistrunk, a black physician known for opening the first hospital for African Americans in Broward County, Fla. During segregation, local laws prevented black people from crossing the tracks to the city’s east side after dark.While developers have eyed the historically black area as a target for gentrification, Pilgram says he looks to preserve the heritage and history of the district. He plans to build a restaurant, jazz lounge and a performing arts center, as well as retail and residential spaces, the real estate magnate told NBC Miami. -(Michael Harriot, The Root)
Watch the video below to hear him explain his vision! Courtesy of WorldStarHipHop.