Shaker resident Harold H. Burton was Mayor of Cleveland, U.S. Senator and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. His father Alfred accompanied Peary to the North Pole and his sister was the children’s author/illustrator Virginia Lee Burton.
Historian Joe Blake explores Burton’s political career and his legacy, including Burton’s tenure as a Republican Mayor during the New Deal, and his Supreme Court appointment just as the Court began to reexamine judicial support for segregation. Cosponsored by the Shaker Historical Society.
In this episode of the History and the Stories of our Neighborhoods, we will tell the story of Cleveland’s first neighborhood, which is the Flats and the Warehouse District – some of the most popular neighborhoods in which to visit when in town. The rich history of the city, starts here, and as we celebrate Cleveland’s 225th birthday of it’s founding, this is a great way to tell the story of such a prominent place in the city’s history.
Join Nishani Frazier, an Associate Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Kansas for a webinar on the civil rights movement in Cleveland.
In conjunction with the Cleveland Civil Rights Trail, Frazier will cover the long arch of political activism among Black Clevelanders from around the city’s founding to the modern civil rights era, and document how this rich history relates to the present day. Come celebrate Black History Month by learning about the history of Civil Rights in Cleveland. This program is made possible in part by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication/ exhibition/program/website do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
On the shores of Lake Erie lies the old world remnants of a city we now call Cleveland. Let’s go back in time and take a look at what this area has to offer..
From Old World Exploration
Cuyahoga County@CuyahogaCounty
Follow Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s trips through Cuyahoga County – view photos, watch videos and hear audio from speeches he made while visiting by using this interactive map: https://cuyahogacounty.us/mlkvisits
“The push to reform redistricting in Ohio” Channel 19 6/9/2017
DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -An Ohio group is trying to change the way congressional districts are drawn in the Buckeye State.
Meet William Stinchcomb, visionary behind creating the Cleveland Metroparks, video from Cleveland.com 7.20.2017
The Cleveland Metroparks will be celebrating its 100-year anniversary this weekend, so we thought it appropriate to share the history of one of the parks driving forces — William Stinchcomb.
Part one covers Mayor White’s formative years in the Cleveland neighborhood of Glenville, living in Cleveland during the election of Carl Stokes in 1967 and White’s election as the first African-American Student Union President at The Ohio State University in 1973.
Part two covers his work with Columbus Republican Mayor Tom Moody, his return to Cleveland, working with and learning from Council President George Forbes and his election to Cleveland City Council.
Part three covers the 1980’s in Cleveland when Mayor George Voinovich and Council President George Forbes were in power. White then speaks about being elected Mayor of Cleveland, and his first challenge as Mayor: the baseball team wants a new ballpark, so White spearheads the Gateway development.
From Wikipedia:
White, who grew up in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood, began his political career early on during his college years at Ohio State University, when he protested against the discriminatory policies of the Columbus public bus system and was subsequently arrested. White then ran the following year for Student Union President and won, becoming the college’s first black student body leader. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1973 and a Master of Public Administration degree in 1974.
After college, White returned to Cleveland. He served on Cleveland City Council as an administrative assistant from 1976 to 1977 and later served as city councilman from the Glenville area from 1978 to 1984. During his time in city council, White became a prominent protégé of councilman George L. Forbes. White then represented the area’s 21st District in the Ohio Senate, serving as a Democratic assistant minority whip.
In 1989, White entered the heavily-contested race for mayor of Cleveland, along with several other notable candidates including Forbes, Ralph J. Perk Jr. (the son of former Cleveland mayor, Ralph J. Perk), Benny Bonanno (Clerk of the Cleveland Municipal Court), and Tim Hagan (Cuyahoga County commissioner). Out of all the candidates Forbes and White made it to the general election. It was the first time two Black candidates would emerge as the number one and two contenders in a primary election in Cleveland history.
In Cleveland, incumbent Mike White won re-election against council president George Forbes, who ran as the candidate of black power and the public sector unions. Angering the unions by eliminating some of the city’s exotic work rules, White presented himself as pro-business, pro-police and an effective manager above all, arguing that “jobs were the cure for the ‘addiction to the mailbox,'” referring to welfare checks. [1]
White ended up winning the race receiving 81 percent of the vote in predominantly white wards and 30 percent in the predominantly black wards.
LocalPublic Policy Issue Forums 2015-2020 League of Women Voters-Greater Cleveland
From the 19th Amendment to the Occupy Movement: Women’s Social Movement Activism A talk by Heather Hurwitz, Lecturer, Sociology, CWRU
Tuesday August 18, 2020 at 7pm For more on forum, click here
The video is here
“Choose Wisely: A How-to Guide for Getting to Know Judicial Candidates.” Wednesday July 22, 2020 at 7:00P.M.
Camille Wimbish, Ohio Fair Courts Alliance
Mia Lewis, Common Cause Ohio For more on forum, click here
The video is here
“The 2020/2021 School Year. What issues are schools facing this fall?”
A Community Conversation: Caring for Children and Families through COVID-19
June 24, 2020 at 7pm via Zoom For more on forum, click here
The video is here
Money in Politics June 2020 edition
Tuesday June 9, 2020 at 7pm edt
“Following the Money: The History and Where We are Now”
with Catherine Turcer, Common Cause Ohio For more on forum, click here
The video is here
Gerrymandering and Ohio video forum
Thursday May 28 at 7pm
w/Michael Li, Brennan Center For Justice
Kathay Feng, National Redistricting Director, Common Cause US
Jen Miller, Exec Director LWV-Ohio
Catherine Turcer, Exec Director, Common Cause Ohio will moderate For more on forum, click here
The video is here
How will some of Cleveland’s most critical non profits survive
Covid-19?Virtual Forum Thursday May 21 7pm For more on forum, click here
The video is here
Vote by Mail in Ohio: The Best Way to Do It
A video forum with voting rights experts from Colorado, Oregon and Ohio Wednesday May 6, 2020 at 7pm edt For more on forum, click here
The video is here
The Crisis in Local News: Reinventing the Business of Journalism
Video Forum on Thursday April 16 at 7 p.m. For more on forum, click here
The video is here
The 2020 Census: Confronting Facts and Impact Sunday April 5, 2020 Video Forum at 9:30am For more on forum, click here
The video is here
EdChoice/Voucher/Ohio School Funding Forum February 25, 2020 7:00p.m. moderated by Patrick O’Donnell For more on forum, click here
The video is here
Preschool and Early Child Education forum Jan 30, 2020 at Shaker Hts Public Library moderated by Sharon Broussard For more on forum, click here
The video is here:
Bail Reform in Ohio. What are our Options? Thursday December 12, 2019. Moderated by Nick Castele, WCPN, Ideastream For more on forum, click here
“The Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924 and how they changed Cleveland”
Tuesday March 5, 2019
Dr. John J. Grabowski, CWRU Krieger-Mueller Joint Professor in History
with a brief update on Immigration 2019 in #CLE by Lynn Tramonte, Ohio Immigrant Alliance For more on forum, click here
How do school vouchers affect our public schools and taxpayers? Thursday. March 14, 2019, 7 pm For more on forum, click here
“How to Reduce Gun Violence in Ohio” February 26, 2019, moderated by Peter Krause, Cleveland.com For more on Forum, Click here
“Voting Rights Forum: What have we learned about how to run elections” Thursday February 7, 2019, moderated by Rich Exner, Cleveland.com For more on forum, click here
“Plastics and Lake Erie” Tuesday December 4, 2018, moderated by Elizabeth Miller, Environmental Reporter, Ideastream For more on forum, click here
“Chronic Pain in the Post-Opioid Era” Thursday November 15, 2018, moderated by Brie Zeltner, The Plain Dealer For more information, click here
“The Election’s Over: What did the voter’s say?” Tuesday November 13, 2018, moderated by M.L. Schulze For more on the forum, click here
“How to Reduce Gun Violence in Ohio” September 12, 2018, moderated by Peter Krouse, Cleveland.com For more on forum, click here
“Waste and Recycling in Cuyahoga County” a talk by Diane Bickett, Exec. Director, Cuyahoga County Sold Waste District August 30, 2018 For more on forum, click here
“Ohio’s School Report Cards: What do they really tell us?” August 29, 2018, moderated by Patrick O’Donnell, Plain Dealer For more on forum, click here
“Ohio Gun Laws: What are our options?” July 17, 2018, moderated by Darrielle Snipes, WCPN/Ideastream For more on forum, click here
“Women in Politics: How to get more women to run for office in Ohio” Wednesday May 16, 2018 moderated by Mary Kilpatrick, Reporter, Cleveland.com For more on forum, click here
“Single Payer/Universal Healthcare- How does it Work? Could it work in the U.S.?” Wednesday April 25, 2018 Moderated by Ginger Christ, Plain Dealer Heathcare Reporter For more on forum, click here
“Redistricting and Gerrymandering in America and Ohio: the effort to reform how districts are drawn” Tuesday March 20, 2018 Moderated by Rich Exner, Cleveland.com
Opportunity Corridor —will the opportunity be realized? Wednesday February 21, 2018, moderated by Steven Litt, The Plain Dealer For more on forum, click here
“Is Northeast Ohio a Sanctuary Region? Laws and policies: Where does our region stand on immigration?” Wednesday January 17, 2018 For more on forum, click here
“A look at the political crystal ball for 2018” Thursday November 16, 2017 moderated by Andrew Tobias, Cleveland.com For more on forum, click here
“The Nuts and Bolts of Ohio Campaign Finance” Thursday October 26, 2017
“Race and infant mortality in NE Ohio: why are black babies dying more and what can be done” Wednesday September 27, 2017
moderated by: Brie Zeltner, The Plain Dealer
THE OHIO BOARD OF EDUCATION aka The State School Board How can they help us? How can we help them? Monday, September 25, 2017 For more on forum, click here
The “Ohio Drug Price Act-Issue #2” forum
September 19, 2017 moderated by Jeremy Pelzer, Cleveland.com For more on forum, click here
“The Election for Mayor: A Discussion about the future of Cleveland” August 29, 2017, Leila Atassi, moderator For more on forum, click here
“Shaker Square: Its past, present and future” July 25, 2017 Steven Litt, Plain Dealer, moderator For more on forum, click here
“Wildlife in Northeast Ohio: why can’t we all just get along?” July 17, 2017 Jim McCarty, Plain Dealer, moderator For more on forum, click here
“Transportation in Northeast Ohio: Where’s the Equity?”
-June 14, 2017 Ginger Chirst, The Plain Dealer, moderator For more on forum, click here
Fracking and the Impact of the Utica Shale on Ohio
-May 16, 2017 Dan Shingler, Crain’s Cleveland Business moderator For more on forum, click here
East Side Development: Prospects for Reinvention
-May 9, 2017 Terry Schwarz, #CLE Urban Design Collaboration, KSU/moderator For more on forum, click here
The Foster Care System in Northeast Ohio. Is it Broken?
-April 19, 2017 Phillip Morris, Plain Dealer/moderator For more on forum, click here
The Proposed Merger of Cleveland and East Cleveland. How could this happen? Should it?
-January 31, 2017 Nick Castele/Ideastream moderator For more on forum, click here
Shaker Hts. Library, Schools, Council forum
– December 8, 2016
“Sports Stadium Financing in Cleveland” forum
– November 17, 2016 Peter Krouse/Cleveland.com moderator For more on forum, click here
“Relationship Between Cleveland Police and the Community” forum November 15, 2016 Mark Naymik/Cleveland.com moderator For more on forum, click here
“Regionalism and the West Shore Communities” forum
November 14, 2016 Janice Patterson, LWV-Greater Cleveland moderator For more on forum, click here
“Marijuana Legalization in Ohio” forum
October 13, 2016 Jackie Borchardt, Cleveland.com moderator For more on forum, click here
“Water Quality of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River” forum
September 15, 2016 Jim McCarty, Plain Dealer moderator For more on forum, click here
“Redistricting and Voting Rights in Ohio” forum
August 25, 2016 Tom Suddes, Cleveland.com moderator For more on forum, click here
“2016 Republican National Convention: What’s it mean to Cleveland?” forum
May 17, 2016 Andrew Tobias, Cleveland.com, moderator
For more on forum, click here
The “Van Aken Project” Forum in Shaker Heights 4.21.16
Public Policy: Pre-School Education in Northeast Ohio 4/12/2016
2016 Ohio and U.S. Primary Preview 3.1.16
“Cuyahoga County Waterfronts and Neighborhood Development” forum
February 9, 2016 Steven Litt, Plain Dealer, moderator
For more on this forum, click here
”Your Money, Your Healthcare: Accessing Quality Treatment at a Time of Rapid Change”
January 19, 2016 For more on this forum, click here
”Regional Cooperation in Northeast Ohio or How to get 59 Civic Entities to Play Together” forum Tom Beres/WKYC moderator – June 17, 2015 For more on forum, click here
Cleveland is home to some of the first public housing projects in the nation. Outhwaite Homes, Cedar Apartments and Lakeview Terrace–all built in the late 1930s–were the first public housing projects to receive funding from the federal government’s newly-created Public Works Administration. This public housing was conceived as a way to help struggling, but upwardly mobile families out of slums and tenements. More than simply shelter, these “estates” included green space, murals and playgrounds designed to produce positive American values and strong children.
Brothers Carl and Louis Stokes moved into Outhwaite Homes Estates with their mother in 1938. Carl became the first African-American mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected mayor of Cleveland in 1967. Louis was the first black congressman elected in the state of Ohio, and served 15 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both Carl and Louis credited moving to Outhwaite as a key to their eventual success. Both advocated for public housing and worked to improve its effectiveness throughout their political careers.
As part of our ongoing Living History series, which looks to Cleveland’s past to inform its future, ideastream hosted a community conversation on the history of the Outhwaite Homes and public housing in Cleveland, on the Stokes brothers’ public housing advocacy, and a look at where public housing stands today.
Presented in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College’s project “Stokes: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future,” a yearlong, community-wide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Carl Stokes’ election as mayor of Cleveland, and a celebration of Carl and Louis Stokes’ lasting contributions to Cleveland and the nation.
