Black History Month Flag Raising Celebration

 For 50 years the City of Cleveland has celebrated Black History Month with a Flag Raising Celebration.

African Flag over Cleveland City Hall

Despite brutally cold temperatures the crowd marched outside singing and chanting "Ashay". Joining in were Mayor Justin Bibb, Community Relations leader Angela Shute-Woodson and Khalid Samad from Peace in the Hood. After witnessing the flag raised above Cleveland City Hall the crowd went back inside for the rest of the program which included music, speeches, poems, food, community resources and more.

Khalid Samad speaks at Flag Raising



Mayor Justin Bibb with Buffalo Soldiers MC members

See photos and videos of the Flag Raising Event

Republican Party Chair Rob Frost – Black History Month

Judge Sara Harper was honored in a ceremony by the Republican National Committee and others in the Outhwaite Community Center which is in the public housing where she (and Carl and Lou Stokes and others) grew up.

Cuyahoga County Republican Party Chairman Rob Frost told the crowd that it as a Republican President, Gerald Ford, who turned Black History Week into Black History Month.

Cleveland African-Americans

Laverne Jones-Gore honors Judge Sara Harper

Judge Sara Harper was honored in a ceremony by the Republican National Committee and others in the Outhwaite Community Center which is in the public housing where she (and Carl and Lou Stokes and others) grew up.  That is also where the Judge Sara Harper library is housed for residents of Outhwaite Public Housing.

Judge Hamper was a pioneer including being the first the first black woman to graduate from Case Western Reserve University Law School. The event marked the end of the 2016 Black History Month and included a tour of the Sara J. Harper Children’s Library, a reception for area Republicans and the Outhwaite community and an awards ceremony for the evening’s honoree Judge Harper.

Laverne Jones-Gore told how Judge Harper was her hero and inspiration.

Cleveland African-Americans

Cleveland Black History Month - Elders and young people

Before the 42nd annual Black History Month Flag Raising Ceremony in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda, Amir Khalid Samad of Peace in the Hood gathered some of the elders and the next generation to the front of the room.

He spoke of the intergenerational theme of the ceremony and how we should learn from the elders who have been through so much.
That goes with the motto “Each one, teach one. Each one, reach one.”

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Black History Month Flag Raising Ceremony

Members of the Underground Railroad Society, Coalition for a Better Life, dba Peace in the Hood and other community organizations marched outside of the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall to see the African-American flag raised over Cleveland City Hall. This was the 41st annual Black History Month Flag Raising Ceremony at Cleveland City Hall.

Khalid Samad on City Hall steps

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City of Cleveland Black History Month Opening Ceremony

The City of Cleveland’s 2015 Black History Month celebration kicked-off Monday, February 2, 2015. This year’s theme “Cleveland’s Future: We are in Good Hands,” was chosen to highlight, share and learn about the many endeavors, accomplishments and future plans of our African American community.

Honorees 

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