DURHAM, N.C. -- There's a new safe space in McDougald Terrace.

• The Marcus Garvey Cultural Center opened Saturday
• Center features a library and a computer lab
• Neighbors and community activists hope the center will keep children out of trouble

The Marcus Garvey Cultural Center opened Saturday afternoon inside a converted apartment within the Durham public housing complex. The cultural center came together with donations in only three weeks--it features both a library and a computer lab.

"We go into our closets, we go into our garages and we just donate what we have," said Paul Scott, who led the effort to develop the cultural center. "That works perfectly. The only return on our investment is the smile on the children's faces."

The center is an effort by neighbors and community activists to help kids stay out of trouble in McDougald Terrace. The complex has had a history of violent incidents including the deadly officer-involved shooting of Frank Clark in November 2016.

"We always hear the negative, but now they have something positive to talk about," said Ashley Canady, president of the McDougald Terrace Resident Council.

Canady says since the plans for the cultural center were announced, many of the kids in the complex could not stop talking about it.

"The kids have been bugging me for the last two weeks saying 'Ashley, when is it going to be done.'" said Canady. "I told them this weekend is it."

Now that its open, Scott is optimistic this will be the foundation for a safer McDougald Terrace.

"This is a new day," said Scott. "It's bigger than a cultural center. This is about putting cultural pride into McDougald Terrace."