Akiba Abaka, a longtime Boston arts professional, has been named interim executive director of the National Center of Afro-American Artists.
Abaka, who started the position on a part-time basis over the summer, succeeds Edmund Barry Gaither, who has been at the Roxbury-based center since 1969. Abaka’s role will be made permanent following a fundraising campaign, while Gaither will retain an emeritus leadership title at the Center.
NCAAA board chair Kafi Meadows said the board “unanimously expressed confidence” in Abaka’s vision for the center.
“This is a pivotal and celebratory moment for the NCAAA,” Meadows said in a statement. Abaka’s “tireless efforts to forge partnerships and build momentum showed us she is the leader we need at this moment.”
Founded by Elma Ina Lewis in 1968, the NCAAA has become nearly synonymous with Gaither, who over more than half a century fashioned the center into one of Boston’s cultural anchors, home to a collection of more than 3,000 objects that champions the preservation and presentation of Black and African diasporic arts and culture.
Abaka, who’s worked as a theater producer and also teaches, praised Gaither’s stewardship of the center, calling it “Boston’s sanctuary where global Black culture breathes, creates, and transforms.”
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“The NCAAA represents more than institutional legacy — it’s the living laboratory for cultural liberation that Dr. Lewis envisioned,” Abaka said in a statement. “I step into this role understanding that we’re not just preserving the past but also building the infrastructure of Black joy, Black genius, and Black futurity.”
Meadows also praised Gaither’s work at the center, saying they were “eternally grateful” for his guidance.
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His “leadership solidified the Center’s place as a beacon for Black culture and creativity, said Meadows. “His impact is incalculable; his legacy will continue to guide us.”
Gaither, who over the years has often worked as a special consultant for? with the Museum of Fine Arts, called working at the center his life’s honor. He added that Abaka shares many qualities with Lewis.
“It’s exciting to me that Akiba steps into this role; her passion, perseverance and commitment to art and culture reminds me so much of Ms. Lewis,” Gaither said in a statement. “Her track record in arts leadership and her deep understanding of our mission positions her well to guide the Center to its next chapter.”
Malcolm Gay can be reached at malcolm.gay@globe.com. Follow him @malcolmgay.