Browse Interviews

Karl Johnson discusses his experience of being a Cleveland tour guide, lesser known stories of Cleveland's past, the railway system, urban renewal and public housing, and the issue of race and racism in Cleveland and America. His interview consists of personal stories, thoughts on public housing, and a discussion of the Hough and Glenville riots which leads to discussion of race.

Richard Baznik, University Historian at Case Western Reserve University, provides a detailed history of the development of the university and describes how the school responded to various national and local events and movements. He notes CWRU's relationship with other cultural and educational institutions in the area.

Interview with Blanche Kirven primarily about her memories of the Hough riots. As a teacher in the area at that time she is particularly interested in relating the educational aspects of Hough.

In this 2006 interview, Bennie Jean Johnson, a life-long resident of Cleveland, recounts many of her living experiences as an African-American in Cleveland. She talks about her early childhood homes in E.55th and E.79th Street neighborhoods during the 1950 and 1960 decades. She describes her experiences during the Hough Riots. She talks about Leo's Casino and other well-known Cleveland east side institutions. She also talks about her experiences in moving to the west side of Cleveland--first…

Oxford, Ohio native and current Judson resident, Mary Susan Davis, discusses how she had to balance raising a family and advancing her career. She talks about how difficult it was to raise her son while being a single mother. She spends a good deal of time describing the tumult surrounding the Hough Riots, and she relates a touching story about a little girl whose house was turned into a outpost. She also talks about her job and the various studies she was a part of over the course of her…

Robert Oldenburg shares his memories of growing up as a lifelong Clevelander. He describes his schooling through University School and Western Reserve. He also recalls his job search that led him to eventually become a lawyer. Peppered throughout his story, Oldenburg discusses his father and the influence he has had on his life. For example, Oldenburg mentions that his father used to take a horse and buggy to the market to replenish his father's grocery stock. Additionally, Oldenburg has lived…

Alan Dean Buchanan has been the Judge in Cleveland Heights since 2001. He took over for Lynn Toler who was elected in 1994. Judge Buchanan was born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He lived with his mother and older brother and attended Northwestern High School in Darlington, Pennsylvania. After high school he went to Princeton University in New Jersey. He was one of about 13 blacks in a graduating class of about 700. While at Princeton he wrote his senior thesis on Carl Stokes campaign in…

Les Jones relates how he obtained a home in the community he had always dreamed about. As a child growing up in the Glenville neighborhood, Jones liked to ride his bike to Cleveland Heights, describing it as "going on a vacation" because it was like a different world to him. He rode his bike past the Forest Hill area and thought the houses were enchanting. He drew a picture of the houses at school and received an "A" on the drawing. Once he settled down and his children grew up, he purchased a…

Dorothy Silver, a Detroit native, describes what drew her to Cleveland. She says that Cleveland was calling her because it was "receptive to various changes that needed to be made." She and her husband began used the theater as a stage to talk about desegregation. She discusses interracial shows at the time of the Hough Riots in 1966. She also discusses fair housing and mixed neighborhoods. She found it surprising that in her experience the people of Cleveland Heights were generally accepting.

Toppin was born in 1940 and grew up in the Cedar-Central and Glenville neighborhoods. His grandparents came to Cleveland from Georgia during the Great Migration, and his paternal grandfather started Majestic Cab Co. His father worked at the TRW plant in Euclid. He recalls the "Gold Coast" entertainment venues along East 105th Street, including in the Euclid-East 105 area, in the 1950s-70s and Motown artists who played the clubs. He describes the racial transition in the area as one from…

John Lunkins was born in Cleveland in 1964. His family was one of the only black families on his mostly Italian American street, East 113th off of Union. Growing up, Lunkins had a best friend who was of Italian descent. He shares his fondest memories of his childhood, playing baseball in the street with his friends, but then also recalls that when all the kids went to go play in the little league, he was unable to play because of his color. As Lunkins grew up he experienced some racially driven…

This interview is a followup to an earlier one with E. Christine Morris. She discusses her memories of the civil rights movement and tells stories about her husband seeing Malcolm X and her seeing tanks roll down Lincoln Boulevard in Cleveland Heights during the Glenville riots in 1968. She also discusses her church, New Community Bible Fellowship in Cleveland Heights, and her children's careers.

Andrew Gilham, lifelong Cleveland resident, talks about growing up in the Cedar/Central and Glenville neighborhoods. Topics include the vibrant communities of the 1930's and 40's, changes in racial makeup of population, and the presence of Jewish and African-American owned businesses. Gilham also relates the importance of public transportation, and the shift to automobile use. He talks briefly about the destruction of property during the Hough and Glenville riots, and the reasons for the riots,…

Larry Rivers, lifelong resident of Glenville, discusses growing up in Glenville during the 1950's and 1960's. He describes the self-contained nature of Glenville and the importance of churches to the community. Rivers relates the change in racial make-up of the neighborhood, the gradual shift towards an all African-American population and the decline of neighborhood businesses. He notes the change in African-American attitudes following the Hough and Glenville riots. This change contributed…

James Mancino, born in South Euclid in 1939, was chief legal council for the city of Cleveland during the Glenville riots of 1968. He gives a first hand account of the riots, the civic responses, and his role as legal council. Mancino was also involved in defending the city during legal battles over urban renewal, and describes lessons learned from the urban renewal process. As legal council for the city, Mancino worked closely with Mayor Carl Stokes, who he describes as "a rare individual."…

Eugene and Emma Ross, residents of Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood since 1965, discuss racism in Cleveland. Eugene explains his work as a housing court enforcer for the neighborhood and the need for residents to recognize the laws. Eugene remembers the Hough and Glenville riots, and the discriminatory practices of the police at that time in regards to looting. Other topics include changes in attitude towards discipline by parents and youth.

Fred Johnson and Anna Marie, long time Cleveland residents discuss growing up in Cleveland as African-Americans. Fred, a former Cleveland policeman, discusses racial discrimination faced by African-American policemen from the 1950's through the 1970's, the Black Shield Officer's Association and National Black Police Association. Anna Marie describes the Cedar Central neighborhood, shopping and movies, streetcars, and layout of neighborhood now known as Fairfax. Other topics include the positive…

Dr. John Grabowski, professor of history at Case Western Reserve University, and historian at Western Reserve Historical Society, details the changes that have occurred in the University Circle since his undergraduate days in the late 1960's; the rise of the medical centers, new housing and the new immigration to the area. As a history major at Western Reserve University in 1969, he describes life as a commuter student during the late 1960's and early 1970's, including anti-war activities, and…

Linwood Smith, a member of the Carl Stokes Mayoral Administration, recalls his time working for the city in the 1960s. He describes the riots in Hough and Glenville. He describes the Model Cities program and how people were incredulous that "free" money was coming to them through a $4,000 grant. They always thought there were strings attached. Smith then goes into the problems that Carl Stokes had to deal with, and he lists the police force as first and foremost. Smith discusses the chain of…

Julian Earls, former NASA Research Center Director talks about his time at NASA and Cleveland State University’s Nance College of Business Administration. He gives his personal recollections of Carl and Louis Stokes and the Hough Riots. Earls was the first African-American supervisor at NASA and talks about the racism there. He credits Louis Stokes as the reason NASA is still in Cleveland. There are other interesting stories about Civil Rights, Central State University, and Kappa Alpha Si.

Venerine Branham, an educator and school administrator in the Cleveland area, talks about growing up in Cleveland housing projects. Throughout the interview, she talks about childhood friends and neighbors Carl and Louis Stokes. Other notable topics included in the interview are desegregation, busing, and the Hough uprising of 1966. At the end of the interview, she reflects on her teaching career and the pleasures of working with children.

Melvin Walker was born in Cleveland in 1943 to parents from Mississippi. He moved to the Cedar-Central neighborhood in 1962. He shares memories of diving with friends at swimming pools around the city, black businesses including those in the "Gold Coast" of Glenville, and visits to Gleason's Musical Bar and Leo's Casino in his younger years. He shares that he worked 32 jobs and discusses some of them including being a postal worker. He comments that, even during the Hough uprising of 1966,…

Joe Lesko grew up in Cleveland. He lived in the Collinwood area most of his life. He taught at Collinwood High School and recounts the changes in the school and neighborhood during his tenure there. He retired in 1979 and moved out of the community. Joe talks about the racial tensions felt at Collinwood High School and how the National Guard was called in to deal with it in 1968. He fondly remembers some of the students he taught and his own high school basketball coach who mentored him and…

Richard Schaffer works with the Glenville Development Corporation and is working on creating a garden pathway in the Glenville neighborhood as a way to green and beautify the area. The community has been receptive and involved due to the open forum approach to creating the garden. Richard Schaffer also discusses the Hough and Glenville riots along with the renovation of Notre Dame Catholic School on Ansel Rd. in Glenville.