**** Edgardo Mansilla had a vision for
our city nearly 30 years ago and in the
end made South Louisville the gateway
for immigrants to get an education,
healthcare and jobs and beyond.
He is the man behind the
Americana World Community Center.
He's made such an impact.
Take a look earlier this month.
The mayor unveiled this new street sign.
It's going to be at the north corner of
Southside Drive in the old Kenwood Way,
but at the end of this month
Edgardo is retiring.
I've been fortunate to have
covered him all of those years,
so I sat down with him.
With one big question,
are we still that welcoming city?
I would like to showing everyone and
celebrating the impact of your leadership.
It was one email that came just
the other day after 30 years
on the job that did it to him.
I like twisting my hair,
felt gratitude for your investment
in in a confused young man who now
have no Chrome and aspire to affect
change in value of marginalized
communities in our war. Written
by a young man whose life like
many was changed for the better,
it's enough to make you cry.
By Edgardo Mancia you
told me you don't get choked up.
Yeah, he might
do. We got it, got you right here.
Oh yeah, no question no question
success for you sushi for him.
He's the patron St of Louisville's
international community and
their success. This is my life.
As he walks the halls of this
former Catholic school that became
Americana, the decades flashed
by for the young man who thought his
time at the Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary would be a short one.
I can't do lol. I thought I was coming
to study and go back to Santina
now he can tour a sprawling campus,
so this is a health clinic exactly
with their family had sent.
He told me Americana.
Students now have an average
GPA of 3.82%. Norma porous
is one of those success stories.
Give me the opportunity to learn English.
It is like my city now. I love Lobo. Mancia
founded Americana in 1990.
A business plan.
Never it all started inside the Americana.
Apartments where the landlord
back then allowed them to tear
out walls for bigger classrooms,
the old name of the apartments
stuck with the mission.
Well we want is that the people
be integrated into the society
without losing their own identity.
The early years weren't easy,
well getting lag or support from other
people working in other agencies like,
well, we don't need a Community Center.
He's a pastor who was not
afraid to join the protests.
Compassion and action.
Without action, is not compassion,
and he says he keeps a wary
eye on the federal agency ice.
The constant worry of deportation looms.
He says, even though he long
ago became an American citizen,
mostly daiquiri with me,
my passport to show that I beacon
City sing in the year 2000.
You still carry your passport,
yeah? Just just in case.
It left me wondering.
One year after protests
for racial justice, how he
views his adopted hometown is
Louisville a welcoming city?
No question. No question. Louisville
is a great place for internationals.
The protest was about injustice
and sensing that I am.
Very happy that happened.
And one way. Is the protest connect
people from people of color?
I saw in the broadest
nauseous African American,
I saw Latin XI saw misses.
I saw people from different backgrounds. He
can retire, knowing Americana
became a hub during COVID,
handing out financial aid,
plus giving COVID tests and the vaccines.
The internationals knew where to turn
people that come into the
center because they want to.
They don't have to.
They choose to come.
That is the force that
May American is strong.
And keep growing.
So with four grandkids and a fifth
on the way, there really is a chance.
This Dynamo for Louisville will
be busy in retirement, or will he?
Are you really going to be able to walk
away from it now? There's no way.
But hey, thankfully he's
not leaving Louisville.
You'll see him around town,
so who is going to replace Edgardo?
Well, there are six finalists with
interviews taking place this week.