LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Doolittle Community Center hosted its annual Good Time Fish Fry to kick off Black History Month celebrations.

“We have so much fun here,” Romelda Williams, a member of the Doolittle Active Adults Center, said. “We have an absolutely beautiful community here in the west side of Las Vegas.” 

The Doolittle Community Center is a safe haven for the African American community offering various art, fitness, educational, and recreational activities.  

“When I was 17, my aunt used to visit the senior centers, and I said at 17, ‘When I get to be a senior, I am going to hang out at the senior center’ and I’m here, doing all the fun things,” Williams said. 

For the annual Good Time Fish Fry celebration community members received a plate of baked beans, potato salad, bread, a dessert, and fried catfish. 

“Fish is a tradition for the African American community,” Cassandra Lewis, coordinator for the Doolittle Active Adults Center, said. “We’ve been doing [Good Time Fish Fry] for the last 13 years now.”

More than 100 people packed the Doolittle Café for good food and good times. The sounds of laughter, cheering, and friendly competition filled the room among people who were more like family.

“I’ve been here since 1971, and this was one of those first places where people could come as a community and feel safe and have things to do that related to them,” Ina Dorman, a Doolittle Active Adults Center member, said. “This is all about us.” 

Since opening on J Street in 1965, the Doolittle Community Center has been a cornerstone of the Historic Westside for over 50 years, serving people of all ages. It offers academic and athletic programs for youth, free resources for families in need, activities for seniors to stay engaged, and a welcoming space for neighbors to connect and build lasting relationships.

“We continue to grow. We continue to feed souls. We continue to raise our children here and take care of our seniors here,” Lewis said.

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