Browse Interviews

In this 2024 interview, Thea Bowman Center employee Bernard Long discusses his life growing up on E. 120th Street in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood. He describes attending Catholic school, living in the area during the Civil Rights Movement, and spending time at Boddie Studio on Union Avenue. He describes the diverse ethnicities that lived in the area and the later white flight that occurred when white families moved out of Mount Pleasant into the suburbs. He also discusses his family, his…

In this 2024 interview, Linda James discusses her early life in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood and her memories moving to Cleveland, Ohio from Kentucky in 1956. She describes the differences between Cleveland and Kentucky— particularly that Kentucky was less racially segregated than Cleveland was. James describes key memories: playing in the outdoors, going to hear music, and hearing Muhammed Ali speak. She also discusses her experience in Cleveland Metropolitan School District, her work as a…

In this 2024 interview, (which is the second one recorded with the participant) Bernard Long talks about his life after graduating from John Adams High School in 1972. Long discusses his experience in the United States Air Force, his later employment and education, and his love of music and drumming. Long ends the interview with a reflection on the role of religion in his life.

In this 2024 interview, Felescia Jordan, an employee at the Thea Bowman Center, discusses her life in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood and the impact of the Thea Bowman Center on her life. Jordan talks about moving to Cleveland from Birmingham, Alabama when she was twelve years old, growing up along Union Avenue, and supporting her children with help from the Thea Bowman Center.

Marilyn Brooks discusses memories from her early life living in Hough and other neighborhoods on the east side of Cleveland. She talks about her family, her activism, and her relationship with Cleveland. At the end of the interview, she emphasizes the importance of racial diversity in Cleveland and beyond.

Joseph Jones discusses his early life growing up in the Hough and Glenville neighborhoods. He describes his family and his career. He also discusses his work with Union Miles Development Corporation and how it has impacted him.

In this 2025 interview, Gifted Garrett discusses his early life growing up in the Cleveland neighborhoods of Miles, Tremont, St. Clair-Superior, and Kinsman in the 1980s and 1990s. He describes how the Miles neighborhood has changed throughout the years. At the end of the interview, Garrett details his path to owning Kyrie’s Kafe, a restaurant located on Kinsman Road.

Yolanda Steward talks about growing up on E. 142nd Street between Bartlett Avenue and Glendale Avenue in the 1950s. She describes visiting stores on Kinsman Road and E. 131st Street such as a chicken market, a shoe store, and a movie theater. Steward describes her experiences at Moses Cleveland Elementary School, Alexander Hamilton Middle School, and John Adams High School. She discusses some experiences of segregation and discrimination: both within public spaces and within the public school…

Crawford Pickens talks about moving from Alabama to Cleveland in 1973 to find better employment. He worked at Forest City Foundry and Ohio Aluminum before retiring in July 2021. Before retiring, he maintained plots at a community garden on Sandusky Avenue and E. 112th Street. In 2001, he maintained two plots at the Schaffer-Miles Garden before becoming the garden manager there. In this interview, Pickens discusses what he knows of the garden’s history, the challenges of operating the garden, and…

Mary Smith discusses moving to Cleveland from Alabama in 1972. She talks about her love for the Mount Pleasant neighborhood and the changes that the area has experienced since the early 2000s. She mostly describes her involvement with the Thea Bowman Center as a volunteer in the marketplace and describes how fulfilling her work is.

Jimmie Waugh discusses moving from Mississippi to the Mount Pleasant neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio around 1959. He talks about attending Alexander Hamilton Middle School and John Adams High School before joining United States Military in 1965. He then tracks his professional pathway after leaving the military: he worked for the Warrensville Fire Department and then began doing maintenance work for the Thea Bowman Center when it still a part of Epiphany Catholic Church. He talks about the…

In this 2025 interview, Huey Haynes II, the owner of Haynes Firestone Tires on Miles Avenue, discusses his early life in the Glenville neighborhood in the 1960s. He describes the Haynes family history of owning gas and auto service stations across Cleveland and how he became the owner of Haynes Firestone Tires. He also describes the impact of his family on his life, why he became a business owner, and the changes that he has witnessed in Cleveland throughout his lifetime.

In this 2025 interview, Mikel Jordan, an employee at NuPoint Community Development Corporation, discusses growing up on E. 147th Street and Glendale Avenue. She describes the history of her family in Cleveland, early memories in the Lee-Harvard area, and her involvement in the early Cleveland hip-hop scene in the 1980s. Jordan also details her early explorations throughout Cleveland and the southeast side by bus, different neighborhood identities, and the effects of crack cocaine on communities.…

In this 2025 interview, Claude Carson, the owner of Sports One Bar and Grill in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood, discusses his experiences as business owner in the area. He details his early life, his involvement in the Black studies program at Kent State University, and his pathway to opening a business. He then details the changes of Sports One Bar and Grill over time and why he continues to stay invested in the neighborhood.

In this 2025 interview, Kevin Heard (also known as MC Chill), discusses growing up in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood, his involvement in Cleveland’s hip-hop scene in the 1980s and 1990s, and his career path as a journalist. He talks about playing little league baseball in the neighborhood with now prominent Cleveland politicians and figures, taking martial arts classes, and attending Cleveland public schools. He then describes becoming Cleveland’s first national rap recording artist, signing a…

In this 2025 interview, Shirley Bell, the executive officer and founder of RevLove Farm, discusses her early life in the Mt. Pleasant and Kinsman area. She describes her educational path and the history of urban agriculture in the area, including the history of RevLove farm. She concludes the interview by discussing the ways that Cleveland has shaped her as a person and by describing the importance of community and food sovereignty.

In this 2025 interview, Mark Smith, pastor at Sanctuary Baptist Church, talks about his early life in Hartford, Connecticut, his move to Cleveland, and his life in and outside of the church. He discusses his career path, his involvement in the Mt. Pleasant and Union-Miles neighborhoods, and his hopes for the future of Sanctuary Baptist Church.

In this 2025 interview, Roshawn Sample, the Executive Director of NuPoint Community Development Corporation, talks about her early, positive memories of the Union-Miles neighborhood, her experience in the public schools, and her pathway to working at NuPoint (formerly Union Miles Development Corporation). She also describes her experience attending University of Akron, raising her daughter in Lee-Harvard, and working as a social worker. At the end of the interview, she encourages young people to…

In this 2025 interview, Bernita Polk Thomas talks about her family’s move from Central to Mt. Pleasant and her life growing up in the neighborhood. She mentions racial changes, her experiences in the public schools, and extracurricular activities she participated in. Thomas Polk ends her interview by emphasizing the importance of understanding the past through history.

In this 2025 interview, Myra Simmons discusses growing up off Kinsman Road in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood in the 1960s. She describes the long-standing businesses of her childhood, her childhood home, and her hobbies within and outside of school. She also talks about working at the steel mill for 42 years, her opinions of labor unions, and her later purchase of multiple homes in the neighborhood. The interview concludes with her hopes for the future and her advice for future generations.

In this 2025 interview, Joyce Fields-Ray discusses her life growing up in the Union-Miles neighborhood. She describes frequently-visited businesses, such as restaurants, ice cream parlors, and roller skating rinks. She recounts her garden plot at the Miles Elementary School garden, early experiences of racism, and other memories from along Miles Avenue. At the end of the interview, she summarizes what has changed and stayed the same throughout the neighborhood.

In this 2025 interview, Carol Ford talks about growing up along Miles Avenue in the 1960s and 1970s. She discusses the racial composition of the neighborhood, the variety of businesses on Miles Avenue, and her experiences of spending time outdoors. Additionally, she talks about racial tensions between residents of Union-Miles and Slavic Village. At the end of the interview, she talks about the changes of the neighborhood and leaves a message for future generations.

In this 2025 interview, Ronnie Trey Williams, the owner and founder of Hood Honey 216, discusses his early memories at his grandparents’ house in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood in the 1990s and early 2000s. Primarily, he discusses spending time outside, his family’s neighbors, and positive memories relating to his family history. Additionally, he describes how he began keeping bees in the neighborhood, how he became involved in urban farming, and how Cleveland as a whole has changed over time.

In this 2025 interview, Marion Anita Gardner discusses her early life in Cleveland, memories at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, and her eventual move to the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. Gardner describes her work as the founder and CEO the Concerned Citizens Community Council on Kinsman Road, her work as a machinist at TRW, and her early education. At the end of the interview, Gardner expresses her love for Cleveland and leaves a message for future generations.

In this 2025 interview, Danny Wagner discusses his early life and his pathway to becoming the youngest black belt in karate in U.S history in 1975. He describes growing up in Buckeye and Mt. Pleasant, beginning martial arts at the age of four, and his educational experiences. Wagner discusses how he became a well-known figure in Cleveland, the impact of his father on his life, and is favorite parts of teaching youth martial arts. He ends the interview with a message for future generations.

In this 2025 interview, Kevin “mr. soul” Harp discusses his early life in Lee-Harvard, his early education, and his early interest in comic books and graffiti as a form of artistic expression. He describes the rise of hip hop in Cleveland, his involvement in the graffiti art scene, and other artists and collaborators that he worked alongside. Harp discusses his life after leaving Cleveland: attending art school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, spending time in Chicago, and eventually moving to…

In this 2025 interview, Barbara Anderson discusses her early life growing up in a foster family on E. 151st and Bartlett in the 1950s. She describes how growing up in a foster family and in a neighborhood with many ethnicities prepared her for her organizing work later in life. She details being the first Black family to move into the Slavic Village neighborhood in the 1980s and the racism and hostility that her family experienced. She describes how losing her house due to predatory lending…

In this 2025 interview, Dan Shields discusses his early life growing up in the Union-Miles neighborhood. He retells the story of his Polish and Irish family arriving in Cleveland in the 1800s, and discusses his parents’ and grandparents’ experiences living along Union Avenue and Broadway Avenue: his grandfather worked at the steel mill in the area. Shields describes his childhood in the neighborhood: specifically memories from Garfield Park and Calvary Cemetery. He talks fondly of his paper…