Larry Rivers Interview, 04 March 2008

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 towards the shift away from the methods and outlook of the Civil Rights movement and towards the more militant stance of the Black Power Movement. During the racial conflicts of the era, many of the entertainment venues in the area of 105th and Euclid allowed people to transcend color barriers. The enlargement of the Cleveland Clinic consumed most of the business establishments near 105th and encroached on residential neighborhoods.