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Each day brought a new revelation. This time, my friend Roz came to Florida for a performance and stopped in
Sanford. This is the news she brought. She told me, "Maybe you should try to own that building, because someone

could come along and snatch it since you are renting." I am called “The Follow-Through Queen,” so I proceeded

to investigate this possibility and discovered that there was such a person. Now check-out this "But-GOD Miracle."

The following week after Sunday church, a young lady came up to me and said, “I have been thinking about you. I

woke up this morning with a desire to come to this church – one that I have never visited before. It’s shocking to
see you here because I wanted to let you know that the City Manager is about to retire, and maybe you should seek

ownership of the building where you are holding your classes before he leaves.” Only GOD could have arranged

this meeting at my church, and I immediately put a plan into action. My husband and I made an appointment to
meet with the City Manager on the next day. At our Monday morning meeting, I encouraged the City Manager to

submit our ownership request by adding our proposal to the Commissioner’s Agenda, and he did!

We prepared a petition with signatures from our parents, teachers, and community advocates that addressed our

desire to own the building. This assurance would give us credence to restore the building through grants,
sponsorships, and donations. Unanimously, Larry Dale, the Mayor of Sanford at the time, and the Commissioners

voted to grant us a Warranty Deed with an Addendum, stipulating that the facility would always service the

community, preferably children. I had no problem with this Addendum because of the school’s history – the
Primary and Head Start programs had been established there. I smiled and thought, “It sounds like this means, ‘All

right, black folks, no church services, no selling cars, junk, clothing, and the like on this property’.” I felt that was
the real reason for the addendum.

With God we won! In 1998, the first public school in Seminole County, built in 1883, and located at 519 Palmetto
Avenue in Sanford, Florida, was established as the permanent home for Tajiri Arts. We were not discouraged by