CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland City Councilman Joe Jones walked along the Lee-Harvard neighborhood and pointed out some of the improvements the city is making — improvements that have been waiting for decades.
“We’re starting to see some of that change. This road right here that has been brought in here, is a great example of that. The road before that, it hadn’t been done in 20 years,” said Jones.
Jones shared his memories of white residents leaving the area.
“At the time, I just knew that white people did not want to commingle with the African American population. They didn’t want their children to go to the same schools, they didn’t want African Americans to be living next door to them,” said Jones.
His parents were among the first African Americans on the street where their house was located. He added that his family experienced some terrifying moments, including one his father shared with him.
“I’ll never forget him telling me that when he moved into the house, that, you know, the neighbors burned a cross on the outside that night. And so, my mom and my dad hit the floor. You know, and prayed to God and called the police. And the police never came until the cross burned completely out,” said Jones.
Jones is proud to say there’s been progress. The ward is home to some new schools like Whitney M. Young, and many believe that educational opportunities are key to closing the opportunity gap.
“Now, this school right here, which is so really beautiful about it is that the neighborhood came together to design it. Right down to the very colors of the bricks,” Jones explained while showing of the new John F. Kennedy High School. “But I never when I was growing up would imagine that we would have built a John F. Kennedy school right here at this location.”
The ward also has new investments in housing and community centers. The Cleveland Restoration Society is developing a cultural history of Lee-Harvard, highlighting the people and places that are part of the neighborhood’s heritage.
Also, current events that place issues of race and equity out front for examination have lifelong Clevelanders like Jones optimistic in the energy from people who want to see positive change to happen now.
“In some of the protests, I couldn’t tell who was the majority crowd — African Americans or white people. And so for me, it was exciting to see.”
