Human Library Project

Black History Month
February 2025

In 1976, February was designated nationally as Black History Month by then President Gerald Ford to, as he put it “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Prior to this federal designation, Black educators and students at Kent State University first proposed this designation in 1969, and even earlier, in 1926, the historian Carter G. Woodson announced that the second week of February was to be “Negro History Week” Both president Abraham Lincoln and the reformer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass have February birthdays, and so this month has had a focus on the freedom and equality of African Americans since the mid 19th Century.1

On the suggestion of one of my clergy friends, I took the opportunity this month to research about the Black/African American community around our church2. As of 2023, the 2-mile radius around the church had a population of just over 74,000, 13.5% of whom identified as Black/African American3. But what does the history of this area look like?

On the corner of W. 125th St. and Guardian Blvd, a mile and a half south of the church, a historical marker provides some information on the first Black settlers in West Park4. According to the marker, one of the first settlers, and the first Black, who resided in the area was the inventor and farmer George Peake, an African American who moved to West Park in 1809. The black population increased during the railroad boom, especially in the Linndale neighborhood in the early 1900s. Two churches, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal and Second Calvary Baptist, were among the first black congregations on the West Side of Cleveland. The current president of the board of the Jefferson/Puritas West Park Development Corporation is the Rev. Gregory Thomas, Esq., the senior pastor of St. Paul.

The focal point of the black population of Cleveland has traditionally been on the East Side. When the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr came to Cleveland, it was at east side churches where he preached and held rallies. And yet, clearly there have been black families here on the west side for generations. How has this church welcomed them? How have we helped them to feel a part of this community?

Our stated goal as a congregation is to grow in relationship with Jesus Christ in order to change the world around us, starting with our own community. Over and over again, the scriptures tell us that in order to change the world, we must welcome everyone. We must reach out to our neighbors, and we must open our doors, not only in February but every month of the year.
I hope you will join me at two events designed to help us to become not just welcoming, but anti-racist – committed to eradicating racism here and everywhere – the rescheduled MLK celebration on February 23 and the storytelling workshop on March 1. Look for more information in these pages, and of course

Fear Not
Pastor Dianne