Erace The Hate and Made At The Citadel
MADE for Creativity: Erace The Hate Establishes New Home in Miami
Since its establishment in 2009, Erace The Hate has never had a dedicated creative space of its own. After years of meetings, collaborations with other creative venues, and hosting events virtually, the stage was set for them to secure a space they can finally call home.
“One Monday, we were gonna meet up at the Citadel across the street, at the food hall to co-work and stuff. And then, of course, like, Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday, the Citadel is closed on Monday. So it just so happens that they were like, oh, let’s check out the place across the street, which was MADE, and that’s literally how we ended up here because they came that day when the Citadel was closed, looked at the space, and if I’m not mistaken, the lease was signed like the same day, if not the next day.” – OD
In March 2024, the organization moved into its first location at MADE in Miami, which has already helped spark positive change in the community and within the organization. The network of ARTrepreneurs is growing fast, their presence is being felt, and their impact is on the rise.
“I personally thought it would be much more productive for us as a community to operate in a space where we had no restrictions. A lot of times, ideas move a lot faster when you can say them across the room, across the table, and make things happen. So that was the real motivation for getting the space.” – Lyndon
The Vision
With the launch of the ARTrepreneur Academy in the near future, they wanted to make sure the new space could host workshops, music events, and other creative activities. However, after a few months at the new location, they moved out.
The Citadel in Miami is a coworking space designed for creative professionals and the director of MADE, Johnny, has a history of serving organizations in the Miami area, including the Dream Defenders. After a meeting with him and explaining the goals for Erace The Hate:
“There was a moment where I wasn’t quite sure if we were going to get kicked out or if he was just going to send us an invoice for thousands of dollars.” – Lyndon
Interestingly enough, Johnny liked what he was hearing and saw the potential impact Erace The Hate could have on the community. He offered them a new and much larger space at MADE, which was about three to four times larger than the space they had just moved into a few months ago.
“You guys keep mentioning that you need a safe space. I want to assure you this, this is a safe space for Erace The Hate and that we believe in the future of your organization. Let me tell you one other thing, I’m a pastor and I’m here for you, y’all are doing God’s work.” – Johnny
This offer was a testament to the faith, prayer, and hard work that manifested this dream.
“Honestly, it’s the synergy that happens in the space. I think it’s really the energy that’s in the building, not even the physical things, the conversations that happen, the relationships that are being built, and also the art and magic that’s being created. Being able to create with your tribe, helping each other create content, trying new things, helping Diana figure out new lighting techniques, seeing Ris filming for her YouTube, seeing Hop DJ, seeing Sax play his sax, and just being his vibe, getting new leads, even seeing the kids vibing in the energy too. Like, it’s different.” – OD
Expansion
“Last year we had a toy drive, and it was just a six-person team. Things got a little hectic, and we realized we needed help because we couldn’t enjoy the events and we were straining ourselves to finish everything. At that event, Lyndon said, ‘Bro, I need a team.’ Fast forward to 2023, we started to build an empire. We moved into our first situation at PSocial, where we met some notable people who are still in the organization today, and started seeing growth. It’s only by the grace of God that we’re doing this.” – James Hopkins
Erace The Hate is grateful that MADE recognized the impact they have on the community and wanted to support their mission. This new space marks a significant milestone in their journey, providing a safe and inspiring environment for creatives and entrepreneurs in Miami to thrive. Keep an eye out for what’s next from this growing tribe that’s making waves in the community.
