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By Amber Hradec \u201922<\/b> & Sara Ann Hutto \u201917<\/b>
\nPhotography by Ashley Jones<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><\/p>\n
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The Echo Theater in Laurens, South Carolina, is undergoing\u00a0a physical \u2014 and symbolic \u2014 transformation,\u00a0thanks in part to architect and alumnus Michael Allen \u201999.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> On a downtown street just off the square in Laurens, South Carolina, sits a building that, at first glance, looks unassuming and small. With its faded sign and boarded up storefront, it doesn\u2019t appear to be anything more than an out-of-use movie theater. The Turning Point<\/b> Clemson and Beyond<\/b> Founding a Firm<\/b> Creating a Team<\/b> \u201cI\u2019m really hoping and praying what it does is heal this hate from the past and help change the narrative of race relations in America. When you turn the key and open the door, [I hope] that people really feel that we put a lot of spirit and heart into it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> Allen recently hired another Clemson graduate, Priscilla Singleton \u201997, M \u201902. The two have known each other for over 20 years and have created a working relationship \u201cbacked by mutual respect and trust,\u201d Singleton says. She took a position as COO of MOA Architecture, coming out of retirement to do so. \u201cI have always thought highly of [Allen] because he is a genuine leader and a man of integrity with vast experiences that he brings to the table of architecture,\u201d she adds. Spirit and Heart<\/b>
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\nBut the Echo Theater is much more than that. The transformations set to take place inside are directly challenging the building\u2019s disturbing and complicated history in a significant way. Once home to the infamous \u201cWorld\u2019s Famous Redneck Shop\u201d and a meeting place for white supremacist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party, the Echo Theater was a symbol of hatred and division.
\nEnter Michael Allen, the principal architect who is tasked with rebuilding the\u00a0Echo Theater into a new community diversity center \u2014 open to all.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nIn 1996, the Echo Theater, once a racially segregated movie theater, was turned into the \u201cThe World\u2019s Famous Redneck Shop,\u201d also advertised as a Ku Klux Klan museum. For years, a flood of KKK, neo-Nazi and other white supremacist memorabilia greeted anyone who walked through its doors.
\nRev. David Kennedy of New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church has been a civil rights activist in the town for decades \u2014 a town named after Henry Laurens, a former slave trader in the 1800s.
\nAs someone who grew up in the Jim Crow era, Kennedy has experienced racial hate and violence firsthand. His own great-great uncle was lynched more than 100 years ago in Laurens. \u201cIf a white person was walking down the sidewalk,\u201d he says, \u201cwe knew quickly to step to the side.\u201d
\nKennedy fought against the Redneck Shop for years when it was active, but he says, \u201cIt was considered a sin to fight.\u201d
\nThe turning point for the Echo Theater was an unlikely friendship between Kennedy and Klan member Mike Burden. In 1997, after choosing to leave the Klan with the encouragement of his girlfriend, Burden had fallen on hard times. Kennedy took Burden in when no one else would. That support led Burden to sell the rights of the building to Kennedy, under the agreement that the former owner of the Redneck Shop, John Howard, could run the store until he died.
\nIn 2017, Kennedy was officially able to take over the building and begin the Echo Theater Project. In 2018, the movie Burden <\/i>was released, chronicling the story of <\/i>Burden, Kennedy and the Echo Theater.
\n\u201cI want people to learn from my mistakes,\u201d Burden told People<\/i> in March 2020. \u201cIt\u2019s the small people in this world who are going to make this change. It\u2019s not the politicians. It\u2019s the reverend, the people who work.\u201d
\nToday, the Echo Theater still houses the narrow entrance a mere 6 feet away from the main door, where people of color were forced to enter back when it was still a segregated movie theater. Inside, there are peeling stickers from the building\u2019s days as the Redneck Shop. In the large main room, the old theater, a fading swastika covers the majority of the back wall. Broken glass also litters the floor from people who vandalized the building in protest of its new purpose.
\nBut Kennedy aims to change all of that. It is his and his church\u2019s mission to turn the building into a community center.
\nThe renovations will take the neglected interior and transform it into a destination that will not only support all members of the community but also help increase education about racial injustice. The building that sold KKK robes as recently as 2012 will be replaced with a museum that will foster dialogue and a community space that is both approachable and versatile.
\nThis is where Michael Allen comes in. As the principal designer\/architect for the project, Allen, along with a large team, is working hard to make sure the vision Kennedy and his congregation have for the building comes to fruition.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nAllen was born and raised in Conway, South Carolina. In high school, he was recruited by colleges all over the nation \u2014 including Clemson \u2014 because he was considered one of the Eastern region\u2019s top football players at the time. When it came time to choose a school, Allen chose to be a Tiger.
\nClemson offered Allen a full scholarship to play for the team, first as a running back and then on defense. However, football was more than just a way to pay for college. Allen had found a second family in his teammates and coaches. Off the field, Allen was enjoying architecture classes that were satisfying his love of art and creativity. He was learning that architecture is much more than just designing buildings.
\n\u201cYou are a problem-solver,\u201d Allen says, \u201cputting all the pieces together to give your client the building and the image they see in their mind while also being able to adapt that concept into a site, into an environment, and still create something they will love.\u201d
\nGraduation came and went. Allen received his diploma, and he chose to focus on football. It was a tough time for him because he didn\u2019t get drafted like he had always imagined. However, he remained committed and actively sought out football opportunities. He spent three years playing arena football and in some semi-pro leagues, continuing to train and work hard in hopes that an NFL team would pick him up.
\nAt the same time, Allen interned at multiple architecture firms, where he began to learn how to be a client nourisher and how to connect his buildings with the environment in a positive way.
\nOver time, Allen came to realize that professional football might not be in the cards for his future. But his education and experience in architecture had prepared him well for a career. He was able to take all that he learned from playing football, those lessons of teamwork and leadership, and combine it with his skills in architecture.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nFor years, Allen worked at various architecture firms and on numerous projects that he says taught him the importance of not only the final design but also the process it takes to get there. He also learned that maintaining a good relationship with the client increases the likelihood of success for the building and the potential for those clients to come back later.
\nIn 2019, he was awarded the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award by the Clemson Football program, which is presented every year to former players who have shown support for the University and displayed exceptional community leadership.
\nThat same year, Allen founded his own Greenville-based firm, MOA Architecture, where he is now the CEO. His belief in his own abilities and his desire to choose his own projects \u2014 ones that spoke to him personally and creatively \u2014 gave him the confidence to take the leap.
\nThe goal of MOA Architecture, he says, is to \u201cmake sure that we are doing our best and giving the community users a great experience.\u201d
\nSince its founding, his firm has built a brand that seeks to sustainably contribute to the built environment, maintain a strong social conscience and ultimately do good for the community. Allen says he wants to design spaces that \u201cwelcome and include.\u201d
\nOne such space is a community center in North Carolina that Allen and his team helped renovate to provide more space for events and expanded the building to include accessible areas for seniors and those with special needs.
\nAnother project that is still underway is the preservation and reimagining of Camp Daniels, a historic Black summer camp that opened in Elloree, South Carolina, in 1947. It was later deeded to South Carolina State University but was discontinued in 1994 due to the deteriorating 50-year-old buildings.
\nAllen and his team were hired by the university to complete a master plan for the camp that will preserve its important history and also provide revitalized space for campers. The plan includes sustainable practices using natural materials, such as wood and stone. Soon, Camp Daniels will be back open and once again filled with activity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nDuring his busy schedule, Allen works hard to set aside time to give back. He serves as both a Liberty Fellow for South Carolina, a statewide fellowship that aims to develop leaders of environmental, economic and political change, and the current president of the Clemson Black Alumni Council. \u201cMy brain doesn\u2019t stop,\u201d Allen said in an interview with the Clemson Alumni Association.
\nAccording to a 2019 article in INSIGHT Into Diversity,<\/i> only 2 percent of licensed architects in America are Black, a statistic Allen is very aware of as he takes on projects, focusing on those in which he can bring his identity and background to bear. \u201cIt has always been in my DNA for race change in America,\u201d Allen says.
\n\u201c[Allen] is very aware of his role in practicing architecture. It is rare to walk into a room and see anyone that looks like him and me,\u201d says Travis Rice \u201901, a current project designer at MOA Architecture and longtime friend of Allen\u2019s from Clemson. \u201cThat can be isolating to some, but not to Michael.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nSingleton says she is excited to work on the Echo Theater project because it is one way to reconcile and correct \u201cthe wrongs of the past and present.\u201d
\n\u201cAs the United States awakens to its embedded racism, actions speak louder than words,\u201d Rice says. \u201cThe actual work will come when we remove racist systems.\u201d
\nFor Allen and his team, the Echo Theater project is a step toward this direction.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nDavid Walker, the vice president of construction at Sodexo Energy and Resources and construction manager for the Echo project, met Allen through a partnership designing Claflin University\u2019s Health and Wellness Center. Walker witnessed firsthand Allen\u2019s ability to put the client\u2019s needs and opinions above his own.
\n\u201cNot every architect can do that,\u201d Walker says. \u201cNot every person can do that.\u201d
\nAs a result of that experience, Walker reached out to Allen for help on the Echo Theater.
\n\u201cThe first time [Allen] had lunch with Dr. Kennedy and myself, I could tell that the story behind the Echo Theater moved him,\u201d says Walker. \u201cHe wore it on his face. At that moment, I knew he was the right guy for this project. Nothing more needed to be said.\u201d
\nMany community-based design projects begin with a charette, a meeting of all parties involved. It is a time for the architects to listen and gain a clearer idea of the direction to take the project. Allen led a design charette in the early stages of the Echo project. He asked the group to go around the room and describe the building and the project in one word.
\n\u201cHate, retribution, diversity \u2014 all these words start popping out,\u201d Allen says. \u201cYou start to see how collectively these words really help the beginning of the design process. What feeling do we want to start designing toward?\u201d
\nKennedy describes this meeting as an \u201cincredible and precious moment.\u201d
\n\u201c[Allen] put all the ideas and concepts together, even the different types of philosophies coming from each of us,\u201d Kennedy says. \u201cHe did an incredible job of creating an atmosphere that included us.\u201d
\nThe team is currently in the demolition phase of the project and is in the process of starting the schematic design phase. Allen\u2019s job as principal design architect involves a lot of planning, budgeting, fundraising, scheduling and communicating with all the parties involved. He works especially hard to continuously communicate with Kennedy.
\n\u201cArchitecture can really define spaces, and the shop was just contributing to the culture of hate in the city,\u201d Allen explains. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to remove the thought of what this building was. We want to embrace it and change the narrative of it so that we can convert it into something positive.\u201d
\nFor Allen and his firm, the Echo Theater completely aligns with their values and mission. The project, he says, \u201crepresents this change that is happening in America, and this change symbolizes where America was, but also where we can go.\u201d
\nAllen hopes the positivity that came about to produce the community center will be palpable as guests engage with the museum and use it for community activities.
\n\u201cI\u2019m really hoping and praying what it does is heal this hate from the past and help change the narrative of race relations in America,\u201d Allen says. \u201cWhen you turn the key and open the door, [I hope] that people really feel that we put a lot of spirit and heart into it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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On a downtown street just off the square in Laurens, South Carolina, sits a building that, at first glance, looks unassuming and small. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":23731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[230,770,1775,1922,2344,2663,2811,2815],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-23875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-architecture","tag-college-of-art-architecture-and-humanities","tag-laurens-sc","tag-michael-allen","tag-race","tag-south-carolina","tag-summer-2021","tag-summer-2021-features"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/06\/Michael-Allen_Plans.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23875\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23875"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=23875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}