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

Khalid Samad in Cleveland International Hall of Fame

El Hajj Amir Khalid A. Samad was inducted into the 2016 class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame. Khalid, CEO of Peace in the Hood,  was the second African-American and first Muslim to be inducted.

  http://clevelandinternationalhalloffame.com/ and http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/africanamerican/africanamerican.htm and http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/muslim/muslim.htm

Cleveland Director Blaine Griffin inducts Khalid Samad

City of Cleveland Community Relations Board Director Blaine Griffin inducted El Hajj Amir Khalid A. Samad into the 2016 class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame. Blaine said that Khalid was the second African-American and first Muslim to be inducted.


 http://clevelandinternationalhalloffame.com/ and http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/africanamerican/africanamerican.htm and http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/muslim/muslim.htm

Toast to 2016 Cleveland International Hall of Fame Class

MC Dan Hanson of ClevelandPeople.Com led the crowd in a toast to the 2016 class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame consisting of Dr. Mohan Bafna, Carolyn Balogh, Charles A. Andre de la Porte, Jack Kahl, The Very Rev. Fr. Mikhail Edward Mikhail, El Hajj Amir Khalid A. Samad and Eugenia Stolarczyk.

http://clevelandinternationalhalloffame.com/ and http://www.clevelandpeople.com

7th class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame

7^th class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame will be inducted Tuesday April 26 

Bios and photos of7th class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame 

The 2016 Class was chosen unanimously by the committee from over 150 nominations. In alphabetical order:

1. Dr. Mohan Bafna
2. Carolyn Balogh
3. Arnie de la Porte (posthumous)
4. Jack Kahl
5. Rev. Mikhail Mikhail
6. Khalid Samad
7. Eugenia Stolarczyk

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.”

See more Black History Month

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

More of Cleveland Black History Month Flag Raising Ceremony