Elma Lewis (1921-2004) graduated from Emerson College, where she studied radio production and communication. In 1950, she founded the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts on Waumbeck Street. The school offered arts, dance, and music lessons for children during the day and adults at night. In 1968, Lewis established the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists, which remains a significant black cultural arts institution in New England, known for its longevity and quality of work. The museum has celebrated black heritage worldwide since its inception. In 1969, Lewis staged the first local production of “Black Nativity,” which celebrated its 30th anniversary in December 1998. Deeply passionate about the arts and her community, Lewis left a lasting legacy in Roxbury. Lewis’s contributions were recognized with a MacArthur Fellows Grant in 1981. Emerson College awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in 1968 and named its Social Justice Center after her in 2013, honoring her legacy in promoting social justice and the arts.
