We’re remixing stories—curating primary sources + cultural artifacts that represent the Black experience in Cleveland. We’ll be establishing new oral histories—capturing stories from people that live, work, play + pray in the neighborhoods that constitute the Black East Side.

Many of the folks who remember the thriving, connected, and predominantly Black communities in The Hood are aging or joining The Ancestors. These stories will be lost forever if we don’t capture them now. We don’t want to solely celebrate the Big Names—the politicians, business leaders, celebrities, etc. Instead, we want to uplift the many history-makers in our community whose stories will shed light on what these neighborhoods—the physical landmarks, events, people, culture + rituals—once were and could become again.

Our first ACTION is the creation of the Chocolate City CLE Map — an interactive virtual tour of the areas around East 105th Street. The CCC Map seeks to recreate the vibes of the street scene (past + present) by highlighting some of the people, places + cultural artifacts throughout time that have made 105 one of the most important streets on the East Side.

We want to document how Black people understand the map of the East Side—the places we value, the places we feel safe, the places of joy + community. We’re interested in how this is expressed in our own voices + vernacular—how folks describe where they “stay” and the routes they take from point A to B. We’re interested in how these insights, observations + anecdotes add more color and texture to a broader conversation about the future of Greater Cleveland’s Black neighborhoods.