By Regennia N. Williams, PhD

The folder cover for information packets that we distributed for the Smithsonian-Cleveland Partnership launch activities.

In my December 2023 blog post, I shared detailed information about the January 2024 Smithsonian-Cleveland Partnership activities. These programs would involve local residents, their organizations, and museum professionals from the Robert F. Smith Center for the Digitization and Curation of African American History at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Individuals throughout Greater Cleveland supported our plans for celebrating, documenting, and preserving African American history.

Carlos Latimer is the Director of the East Cleveland Public Library. He is shown standing next to a portrait of Icabod Flewellen. Mr. Flewellen was the founder and director of Cleveland’s African American Museum. (Regennia N. Williams, Photographer)

The East Cleveland Public Library’s Icabod Flewellen Collection attracted lots of attention during the Smithsonian team’s visit. This should come as no surprise to many students of local history. After all, Flewellen was the founder of Cleveland’s African American Museum. The energy in the room was palpable. Rita Knight-Gray, the librarian-archivist, enjoyed the East Cleveland session the most. She processed the Flewellen Collection and now wants to see it digitized.

NMAAHC’s Dr. Doretha Williams (second from left) examines materials from East Cleveland Public Library’s Icabod Flewellen Collection. (Regennia N. Williams, Photographer)

Our Smithsonian guests traveled by mini bus with members of the host team. Our other stops included venues where African American art and archival collections were housed. Among these were the Cleveland Museum of Art. They also included Severance Music Center, home of The Cleveland Orchestra. Other stops were the Cleveland Public Library, the Western Reserve Historical Society, Mt. Zion Congregational Church, Antioch Baptist Church, Karamu House, Gethsemane Baptist Church, and East Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

Dr. Richard Jones is a member of the African American Archives Auxiliary of the Western Reserve Historical Society. He also shared his incredible collection of rare Black postcards. We also visited Cleveland State University’s Michael Schwartz Library, where the Praying Grounds Documentary and Oral History Collections are housed.

Clevelanders are thrilled about the opportunity to learn from the Smith Center team. Our official Smithsonian-Cleveland Partnership website also indicates their excitement. They are looking forward to future visits.

Sister Yvetta, a master drummer and poet, performed with dancers and drummers of Djapo Cultural Arts. The performance at the East Mt. Zion Baptist Church was rousing. (Regennia N. Williams, Photographer)

Dr. Regennia N. Williams (left) and DavidPatrick Ryan joined others in viewing the East Mt. Zion Greenstone Church Oral History exhibition on January 27, 2024, the day of the Smithsonian’s Community Summit. (Photograph courtesy of Regennia N. Williams)

“A Place for All People: Introducing the National Museum of African American History and Culture” is a poster exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). It was on display at the Western Reserve Historical Society during the first quarter of 2024.

Grand Dame Queenie is a 2012 painting by Amy Sherald. It is included in the SITES poster exhibition “A Place for All People.”

TV20’s Errol Porter and Regennia N. Williams discussed the Smithsonian-Cleveland Partnership launch during a February 20, 2024, Black History Month segment. (Photograph courtesy of Regennia N. Williams)

This book served as the recommended text for the NMAAHC-inspired spring 2024 “Archives 101” initiative. The initiative included site visits to Cleveland Public Library. It also involved visits to The Dittrick Medical History Center on the campus of Case Western Reserve University.

For more information, including program updates for 2025 – 2026, please visit https://www.cleblackhistoryandculture.com/.