Saturday, August 15, 2015 1:30 p.m. The Honorable Leo A. Jackson: A Government of Laws and the Political Empowerment of a People Celebrating the Life and Legacy of a Distinguished Jurist and The 50th Anniversary of The Voting Rights Act of 1965 *Part III in a Four-Part Series Related Archival Materials: The Leo A. Jackson Collection *Processing of this collection was made possible by a grant from the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland.

Dr.  Regennia  N.  Williams  and  The  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary  (AAAA  /  “Quad  A”)  Present  

Afternoons  in  the  Archives  at  The  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society  Research  Library  –  Hassler  Room  10825  East  Boulevard  Cleveland,  Ohio    44106    

Commemorating  

The  44th  Anniversary  of    The  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary  Free  Each  Saturday  afternoon  program  in  this  series  includes  a  tour  of  the  library,  table  talk,  tea,  and  admission  to  the  History  Center.    Space  is  limited.    Advance  registration  is  required.      To  register  or  obtain  more  information,  please  call  (216)  721-­‐5722,  ext.  1522.  

 

Image  courtesy  of  Linda  Jackson  Sow

ell    

In the begi

WRHS Library Makes Leo A. Jackson Papers Available CLEVELAND, OH – The Western Reserve Historical Society’s Library is pleased to announce the availability of the Leo A. Jackson Papers. The papers have been fully processed, cataloged, and are now open for research. Funded by generous support of the United Black Fund, this collection is a significant addition to the rich tapestry of African American history available at the Western Reserve Historical Society.

Serving Cleveland from the 1950s-1980s, Leo Albert Jackson (1920-1996) was an African American attorney, judge, and politician. A veteran who served in the U.S. Army, Jackson graduated from Morehouse College in 1943, and obtained a Master of Arts degree from Atlanta University in 1946. He obtained his law degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 1950. In 1957, he was elected to Cleveland City Council as the Ward 24 representative. He served there until 1970.

This collection is important in its depiction of Jackson and his experience as an African American community leader and city official. Through the papers, researchers get a strong sense of the government and political climate of Cleveland from the late 1950s-1970. Areas of interest profiled by the collection include housing and zoning concerns, racial tensions, relations with the police, the Hough Riots, and unrest in Glenville (including the Glenville Shootout), as well as how politics in the city was affected by these types of issues.

Recent national events which have (from Cleveland, to New York, to Ferguson) ignited racial tensions and brought police practices into question can also be explored through this specific collection. Researchers can follow Jackson’s career as an African American councilman and see how he applied and interpreted his experiences as he became a judge on Ohio’s Eighth District Court of Appeals in 1970. A full description and inventory of the collections is available online.

Jackson served three consecutive terms on the district court, twice as chief judge, and had a special assignment to the Ohio Supreme Court. He was active in many community organizations in the Cleveland area and received numerous awards for this work. He retired from the bench in 1987 and passed away on April 19, 1996 in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

During his council career representing Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood, Jackson fought for civil rights, introduced gun control legislation, and was dedicated to community development in his ward. He faced controversy on racial issues as a moderate African American who did not ally with the black power movement. He was also active in the county, city, and state Democratic parties and involved in various local issues like the Cuyahoga County Charter debate.

Library Director, Richard Shrake, notes, “We are proud to provide access to the Judge Leo A. Jackson papers. This collection is important both in understanding the significance of Jackson’s influence and in helping the African American Archives continue to depict the many facets and contributions of Black History in Northeastern Ohio.”

Established in 1970, the African American Archives of the Western Reserve Historical Society are an ongoing initiative to collect, preserve, and make accessible materials that profile the African American experience in Northeast Ohio.

Celeste Terry, Director of Grants at the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland states, “The United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. is proud to have provided funding for archiving the papers of Judge Leo A. Jackson. Scholars, students and lovers of history will have access to documents that are historical, and that tell a narrative of the accomplishments of African Americans that shaped Cleveland. These archives chronicle the impact and influence their lives had on improving lives in the City of Cleveland. The African American Archives of the Western Reserve Historical Society is an important resource and institution in this community. It preserves and makes available a collection that details the contributions of prominent African Americans that people can learn about for many years to come.“

In the beginning . . .  

The above text is excerpted from a February 19, 2015 blog post that is available at http://www.wrhs.org/blog/news/wrhs-library-makes-leo-a-jackson-papers-available/.  

Afternoons  in  the  Archives,  Part  III  

 Councilman  Leo  A.  Jackson,  1962.    (Courtesy  Cleveland  Memory)*  

 Program  

 Welcome  and  Acknowledgments  “Lift  Every  Voice  and  Sing”  

 

Panel  Presentation  Mrs. Linda Jackson Sowell, Daughter of Judge Leo A. Jackson and

Principal, Abyssinia Group Consulting

Mr.  Richard  L.  Aynes,  Dean  Emeritus  &  Professor  of  Law  Emeritus    University  of  Akron  School  of  Law  

 

The Honorable Ronald B. Adrine, The Cleveland Municipal Court

Mr. Robert Render III, Community Activist and Former Quad A Trustee, Moderator

 

Audience  Participation  /  Q  &  A  Remarks  

Announcements  –  Evaluations  –  Mailing  List  –  Adjournment    Refreshments  –  Library  Activities  

 

**********************************************************************    

Lift  Every  Voice  and  Sing  By  James  Weldon  Johnson  

 

Lift  every  voice  and  sing,  Till  earth  and  heaven  ring,  Ring  with  the  harmonies  of  Liberty;  Let  our  rejoicing  rise  

High  as  the  list’ning  skies,  Let  it  resound  loud  as  the  rolling  sea.  Sing  a  song  full  of  the  faith  that  the  dark  past  has  taught  us,  Sing  a  song  full  of  the  hope  that  the  present  has  brought  us;  

Facing  the  rising  sun  of  our  new  day  begun,  Let  us  march  on  till  victory  is  won.  

* For additional online resources on Judge Leo A. Jackson, please visit www.ClevelandMemory.org/.

   

A  Historical  Perspective    

In  1971,  twenty-­‐three  people  served  on  the  original  Black  History  Archives  Project:  Russell  T.  Adrine,  Dr.  Tillman  Bauknight,  Myrtle  J.  Bell,  Professor  Thomas  E.  Campbell,  Ernest  C.  Cooper,  Russell  H.  Davis,  Lawrence  L.  Evert,  Ralph  W.  Findley,  Rev.  Donald  G.  Jacobs,  Ronald  M.  Johnson,  Professor  Butler  A.  Jones,  Dr.  Middleton  H.  Lambright,  Robert  P.  Madison,  Professor  August  Meier,  Mrs.  A.  Grace  Lee  Mims,  George  A.  Moore,  Professor  Wilbert  Nichols,  Professor  Ralph  L.  Pruitt,  Robert  L.  Southgate,  Dr.  Booker  T.  Tall,  John  B.  Turner,  William  O.  Walker,  and  Harvey  M.  Williamson.    

The  group  included  educators,  administrators,  and  business  people  within  the  local  Black  community,  organizations,  and  those  who  demonstrated  an  interest  in  preserving  Black  history.  Their  objectives  were  to  assure  community  involvement  in  the  Black  History  Archives  Project  and  to  increase  Black  participation  in  the  activities  of  the  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society.  Committee  members  introduced  the  Society’s  staff  to  potential  donors  and  promoted  the  mission  of  the  African  American  Archives  to  their  friends  and  associates.  In  addition,  the  Historical  Society  received  a  grant  from  the  Cleveland  Foundation  to  hire  an  archivist,  Ms.  Olivia  Martin,  who  coordinated  the  Black  History  Archives  Project.  

Dr.  Booker  T.  Tall  emerged  as  a  leading  champion  of  the  Black  History  Project  Advisory  Committee.  He  took  up  the  reins  of  the  committee  with  a  renewed  vigor  in  1989.  He  attracted  a  cadre  of  community  leaders  and  activists—and  their  support  of  the  Archives.    In  1990,  the  advisory  committee  was  reorganized  as  the  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary.  This  brought  the  new  status  of  being  recognized  by  the  Historical  Society’s  Board  of  Trustees.        

The  Auxiliary  began  efforts  to  re-­‐establish  the  position  of  Curator  and  Archivist  for  African  American  History.  The  goal  was  realized  in  1992  when  the  Cleveland  Foundation  made  a  three-­‐year  grant  of  $150,000  to  support  the  Archives.  Samuel  W.  Black  was  appointed  Associate  Curator  for  African  American  History.  Nishani  Frazier  and  Susan  Hall  succeeded  Samuel  W.  Black.    The  position  of  Curator  for  African  American  History  is  presently  vacant.      

Sherlynn  Allen-­‐Harris  was  appointed  Acting  President  of  the  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary  in  2010.  The  Auxiliary  is  continuing  its  efforts  to  raise  $1  million  for  the  Booker  T.  Tall  Endowment  Fund,  which  will  provide  ongoing  financial  support  for  the  African  American  Archives.         The  true  beneficiaries  of  the  dedication,  commitment  and  generosity  of  all  those  who  have  served  and  supported  the  Auxiliary  will  be  the  generations  to  follow.  They  will  find  their  history  documented  in  the  collections  of  the  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society,  an  institution  now  dedicated  to  preserving  and  presenting  the  heritage  of  all  of  the  people  of  Greater  Cleveland.  For  information  on  the  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary  or  to  find  out  how  to  support  its  work,  contact:  

Sherlynn  Allen-­‐Harris  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary,  Acting  President  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society,  Board  of  Directors,  Ex-­‐Officio  Member  sallenharris2@gmail.com  

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Saturday, September 19, 2015 1:30 p.m. Famous in the Neighborhood and Beyond Focusing on Dr. Shirley Smith Seaton and Other Current and Former Residents of Cleveland’s Fairfax Community Related Archival Materials: The Boyd Funeral Home Collection

Dr.  Shirley  Smith  Seaton  (right),  Board  member  for  the  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society  and  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary  Trustee,  with  Dr.  Regennia  N.  Williams,  c.  2009,  in  the  History  Center.  

Dr.  Regennia  N.  Williams  and  The  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary  (AAAA)  Present  

Afternoons  in  the  Archives  at  The  Western  Reserve  Historical  Society  Research  Library  –  Hassler  Room  10825  East  Boulevard  Cleveland,  Ohio    44106  

Commemorating  

The  44th  Anniversary  of    The  African  American  Archives  Auxiliary  Free  This  program  includes  a  tour  of  the  library,  table  talk,  tea,  and  admission  to  the  History  Center.    Space  is  limited.    Advance  registration  is  required.      To  register  or  obtain  more  information,  please  call  (216)  721-­‐5722,  ext.  1522.