Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) is Cleveland and Northeast Ohio’s premier storyteller of our region’s past, with six sites located in four counties. Founded in 1867 as the trusted steward of Northeast Ohio history, WRHS is one of the largest and most diversified historical societies in the United States.

We prioritize people, place and purpose.

WRHS strives for a culture of excellence, diversity, access and inclusion for all people and the communities we serve. We apply best practices on the stewardship of our properties, collections and digital resources. We strive to empower the entrepreneurial spirit to create, promote and sustain a relevant, experience driven organization. We approach our work through an equity lens to ensure collections, experiences, volunteers, interns and WRHS Team members reflect the rich diversity of Northeast Ohio.

As we reflect and celebrate African American History and Culture during Black History Month and throughout the year, please refer to the following resources developed by our WRHS Team

Thank you!

Archives & Collections

The African American Archives of the Western Reserve Historical Society were established in 1970 to collect, preserve and make accessible historic documents, photographs, memorabilia, art, and artifacts pertaining to African American life, history and culture in Northeast Ohio. The collection includes manuscripts, photographs, microfilm, and newspaper collections specific to the African American experience, and covers a wide range of topics and categories.

African American Archives

Resources pertaining to African American life, history and culture.

African American Archives Auxiliary

Learn more about how you can be involved.

Digital Cleveland Starts Here®

Search and browse all WRHS digital content including images, text, and video.

Collections Catalog

Follow this link to see a curated list of African American history resources available in the WRHS Library.

Stokes Oral History Project Collection (MS5416)

This collection includes 34 interviews with family and friends, associates and staff, and was conducted to commemorate the 50th anniversaries of Carl Stokes’s election as Cleveland’s first African American mayor and Louis Stokes’s election to Congress. Follow the link to explore.

Exhibitions

Carl and Louis Stokes: Making History 

at the Cleveland History Center

Cleveland Starts Here® 

sponsored by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation | at the Cleveland History Center

Robert P. Madison: A Lifetime of Design

at the Cleveland History Center

Women and Politics | Empowered to Vote, Empowered to Lead 

presented by PNC at the Cleveland History Center

Celebrate Those Who Give Black – 2021 

at Cleveland Public Library Main Branch

Cozad Bates House Interpretive Center 

in University Circle | Virtual exhibit also available

Events

• YouTube Premiere of Let the Oppressed Go Free: A WRHS “By the Book” Discussion with the Reverend Dr. Marvin A. McMickle | February 1
• Virtual Going There and Knowing There: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in Cleveland, Ohio | February 1, presenter Dr. Regennia N. Williams, WRHS Distinguished Scholar of African American History and Culture
• Frederick Douglass Speaks on Democracy – February 17 & 19, presenters Nathan M. Richardson, Living History Interpreter and Rania Assily, Professor of History at Cuyahoga Community College
• Black History on Tap | Cleveland All Stars – February 24
• Virtual Going There and Knowing There: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Cleveland, OH | February 24, presenter Dr. Regennia N. Williams, WRHS Distinguished Scholar of African American History and Culture
• Past Masters, Master Teachers, and Modern Artists | Closing Concert – April 3 Details coming soon at wrhs.org.
• Virtual By the Book Author Series | Class, Culture, and Consciousness in Black America | March 3, presenter Dr. Cassi Pittman Claytor
• Virtual By the Book Author Series | Important Differences in the Health of African Americans | April 7, presenter Dr. Gregory L. Hall
• The Preservation of Her Calling: The Life of Dr. Tameka Ellington, from Inner City Poverty to Internationally Recognized Designer and Speaker | May 1, presenter Dr. Tameka Ellington
• Kwanzaa to Juneteenth – June 16, hosts Kwanza Brewer, Beverly Lloyd, and Dr. Regennia N. Williams

Education

• Youth Entrepreneurship Education | Created in partnership with Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) with leadership funding from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, the program inspires the entrepreneurial spirit in our youth using historical examples of African American innovators and entrepreneurs.
• Margaret R. Barron Scholarship Fund | WRHS offers the opportunities for paid student internships in the WRHS African American Archives through the Margaret Barron Scholarship Fund. The African American Archives Processing Intern will assist in the arrangement and description of archival materials related to the African American community of Northeast Ohio. The intern will gain experience in organizing and processing archival materials for researchers to access, broaden research skills, and expand knowledge of WRHS resources. Email interest or questions to jdukes@wrhs.org
• Speaking of Cleveland – WRHS Speakers Bureau | Online or in-person programs available for booking including:
• Praying Grounds: African American Faith Communities, presenter Dr. Regennia N. Williams,WRHS Distinguished Scholar of African American History and Culture
• New Education Curriculum | Cleveland Underground, developed in partnership with University Circle Inc. and our partnership with the Cozad Bates House Interpretive Center in University Circle
• Recommended Reading
• Download Activity Sheets

Resources in Our Community

• African-American Genealogical Society-Cleveland, Ohio
• The Association of African American Cultural Gardens
• Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)
• Kelvin Smith Library
• Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
• Cleveland Black History & Culture
• The Cleveland African American Museum
• The Cleveland Memory Project
• Cleveland Public Library
• Cleveland Public Library Events & Classes
• Cleveland Public Library Digital Gallery
• Cleveland State University
• The Howard A. Mims African American Cultural Center
• Center for Public History + Digital Humanities
• Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)
• Cuyahoga County Public Library
• Destination Cleveland
• 48 Hours in CLE: African American History
• East Cleveland Public Library
• Green Book Cleveland
• Karamu House
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• RASHAD Center for the Study of Religion and Spirituality in the History of Africa and the Diaspora (The RASHAD Center, Inc.)
• Smithsonian Museums, Institutions, and Affiliates
• A Place For All People is based on inaugural exhibitions at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• City of Hope: Resurrection City and the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign explores the history and legacy of this important moment in U.S. history.
• The Talking About Race online portal from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture helps people, educators, communities and families discuss racism, racial identity and how these concepts shape every aspect of our society from politics to the economy to the nation’s culture.
• The Searchable Museum | A digital initiative from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• Smithsonian Learning Lab Resources
• Meet the Black Americans who shaped the history, development, and culture of the U.S. in this collection from the National Portrait Gallery
• Overview of Historical Discrimination in the Olympics: Gender, Sexuality, and Race, a collection created by a Smithsonian summer intern working with the Cincinnati Museum Center, a Smithsonian Affiliate.