Tamir Rice's Family Wants To Open Arts Center For Youth

CLEVELAND — The family of Tamir Rice has established a legacy fund at the Cleveland Foundation to honor the legacy of the 12-year-old boy killed in 2014. Samaria Rice, Tamir's mother, plans to open the Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center to provide arts programs to youth.

“The arts helped Tamir with self-expression and he would want to live in a world that is equitable for all people,” said Samaria Rice. “Our hope is to keep Tamir’s memory alive through the creation of the Tamir Rice Legacy Fund. I am humbled by the outpouring of love and support for Tamir and grateful to everyone who has already contributed.”

Money donated to the legacy fund will be used to open the Tamir Rice Afrocentric Cultural Center. The Cleveland Foundation said the center would, "provide artistic, educational and civic youth programs that celebrate the history and culture of people of African descent."

Donations to the Tamir Rice Legacy Fund can be made online or via mail through the Cleveland Foundation. Checks can be mailed to the Cleveland Foundation at 1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1300, Cleveland. Checks should be made payable to the Cleveland Foundation and the memo line should read "Tamir Rice Legacy Fund." All donations to the fund are tax deductible.

Tamir Rice was shot and killed by police while playing with a toy gun in a Cleveland park on Nov. 22, 2014. Officers shot the boy within two seconds of arriving on the scene.

Tamir's death led to protests and mourning in Cleveland. Now, his mother hopes she can use her son's legacy to impact the lives of children in Northeast Ohio.