Letter from our New Executive Director

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Supporters of the King Urban Life Center,

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” It has been my life’s dream and mission to be of service to others.  As an opera singer and educator with over ten (10) years of professional experience in cities like Chicago, Boston and, most recently, Buffalo, I have been able to harness the transformative power of art and education while teaching and performing in some of the most underserved and wealthy communities in this nation.  Time and time again, I have seen the arts and education bridge the cavernous gap between many of these communities.  This past year, in my involvement with the educational programs offered at the King Urban Life Center (KULC) as an Early Learning Specialist for Parent Child Plus, Lead Instructor of the STEAM Team (after school program), and Professor of Music at Houghton College Buffalo: East Side I have witnessed first-hand the invaluable impact the KULC has on our world.  The KULC has been a critical point of communal-flourishing and access in the city of Buffalo that transcends generational, racial, educational and economic divides. 

It is my honor to serve as the Executive Director of the KULC. Thank you for your support and trust in me.  I am excited to begin the work of developing creative ways to advance awareness and financial support for the restoration of the beautiful, historic building we occupy.  It is my commitment to expand and strengthen our efforts to enhance the quality of life and learning outcomes for the children of this community through our literacy and community initiative programming. I look forward to working with each of you as we endeavor, together, to further the legacy and reach of the KULC—a beacon of high-quality education, inclusion, sustainability, unity, and hope in Buffalo and beyond.

Yours in service,

Sirgourney F. Cook