Frank Kidd Jr. Interview, 25 February 2013
Abstract
Frank Kidd Jr., born in 1935, has lived in Cleveland his whole life. His parents were originally from the South (Alabama and Mississippi) but moved to Cleveland to seek refuge from harsh racism. Kidd lived most of his childhood with his grandmother, as his father served in the Army. He recalls many aspects of his childhood and teen years. Kidd is a strong advocate for the Cedar-Central area and aims to improve the neighborhood through his various influential programs. In 2010, the mayor awarded Kidd with a key to the city for his efforts. He moved to the neighborhood with his wife and children, because his kids had asthma and needed steam heating, which was provided in these specific residences. Kidd recalls how the area formerly thrived in various ways. He wants to bring back the vibrancy in the neighborhood that he remembers seeing as he watched his children grow up.
Metadata
Sponsor this interview
Oh no! This interview has not yet been transcribed.
Transcription is expensive and time-consuming. You can support transcription on clevelandvoices.org by sponsoring an interview. As a sponsor, your name – or the name of your family or organization – will become part of the archival record. Donations to the Center for Public History + Digital Humanities are processed via the CSU Foundation and are tax-deductible.
Cedar Central
The interviews in this series resulted from an initiative spearheaded by Campus District Inc. to document stories in conjunction with the planned closure of the high-rise building in the Cedar Estates housing project. Jane Addams High School students learned oral history techniques alongside CSU interviewers.