Pictured above (left to right) are the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Washington Monument. (Photographs by Regennia N. Williams.)

By Regennia N. Williams, PhD

For reasons that are obvious to everyone with an interest in African American history, the first quarter of the calendar year can be incredibly busy. Between the commemorative events related to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in January and the month-long celebration of Black history in February, there is seldom, if ever, a shortage of thought-provoking programs for audiences of all ages. For residents of Greater Cleveland, however, an already rich season of arts and humanities programming is about to become even richer.

Beginning in January 2024, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will partner with local businesses, faith communities, cultural arts organizations, educational institutions, neighborhood groups, and individuals to promote the preservation of African American history at the local level. The partnership may continue for several years, and it has the potential to improve access to African American archives in research institutions, and make every month Black history month! 

Thanks to the Robert F. Smith Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History, Clevelanders will soon be able to reap the same partnership benefits that residents of Washington, DC, Chicago, New Orleans, Nashville, and other communities have already enjoyed. Residents will participate in workshops, work one-on-one with museum professionals from the nation’s capital, learn more about their own collections and materials that are available in local library and archival collections, and view and discuss the “gOD-Talk” documentary film, “a groundbreaking project led by the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life in association with the Pew Research Center.”

Dr. Doretha Williams is the director of the Smith Center, and I am pleased to serve as the local program director for the Cleveland partnership. ”MLK, Movements, Millennials, and More: From ‘We Shall Overcome and the Civil Rights Movement to #BlackLivesMatter and ‘A Place for All People'” is the theme for Cleveland’s January launch. Site visits and other program activities will begin on Wednesday, January 24th with a tour of the Severance Music Center and the archives of the Cleveland Orchestra and will conclude on Saturday, January 27th with a “Community Curation Summit Meeting” at the city’s historic East Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Pictured below, this local landmark was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.

The African American Archives Auxiliary (AAAA /”Quad A”) of the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS), which is a Smithsonian Affiliate, and African American History Initiatives at WRHS will serve as the official hosts. The RASHAD Center, Inc., Black Girl Media, the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival (GCUFF), and the JT Lynch Jazz Ensemble are among the other local partners. This NMAAHC partnership is the first of its kind for Cleveland, and local groups are understandably thrilled to be part of the upcoming series of events.

Dr. Doretha Williams is the director of the Smith Center, and I am pleased to serve as the local program director for the Cleveland initiative. Admission for all public programs will be free, and registration will begin on January 3, 2024.  Day, evening, and weekend events are planned, so please watch for more details here next month. You are also invited to click on the links above for more information about the work of NMAAHC and the Smith Center, or send an email to rashadcenterinc1@gmail.com for more information on the NMAAHC-Cleveland partnership.