Remembering Community Leader Agnes Bain ('Mama Bain')

Some called her the 'Queen Mother', others referred to her by her nickname 'Mama Bain'. Regardless of what name anyone used to refer to Agnes Bain, it was always associated with a level of respect worthy of the utmost accolades.

I didn't know Agnes Bain, but from what I've read about her, I get a sense that she was not only a one-of-a-kind human being but more specifically, she was like a mom to the many lives she touched and influenced.

Eva Doyle, one of Agnes Bain's co-workers, described her this way, according to a news article about her passing.

"She was more than an icon, she was the Queen Mother. She believed in culture, she believed in tradition and making sure our young people understood and learned their history."

Agnes Bain was a stellar Buffalo community Leader and long-time Executive Director at the African American Cultural Center in Buffalo, according to news stories. Paulette Harris, Artistic Director of the Paul Robeson Theatre was quoted as saying,

"She was Buffalo, people relied on her for her knowledge base."

'Mama Bain', as Agnes Bain was called by many, was the Executive Director at the African American Cultural Center for 50 years, according to news reports, and only the 2nd person to ever serve in that position in the history of the Center. The news article, reflecting on Agnes Bain's life, identified some of the roles she served in as one of Buffalo's premier Community Leaders.