African American Cultural Garden Moves Forward

Aug 23, 2021

Council approved authorizing the city to accept a $350,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation to help complete the unfinished African American Cultural Garden along the northern stretch of Martin Luther King Blvd. 

In 1969, Cuyahoga Community College Professor Booker Tall started working to claim a site for the African American Cultural Garden within the Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation Grounds.
 
After eight years, the professor and friends had a dedication of the committed site. However, after Professor Tall passed away, the effort nearly died and the Association African American Cultural Gardens went dormant. In 2002, the effort was restarted under Cordell Edge.
 
However, the garden effort has been plagued by scarce funding. Though the first part of it was finally built. The grant council approved at its August meeting will allow the beginning of construction of Phase 2, estimated to cost $883,187. The photo depicts a completed Phase 2. There are three phases. Ord. No. 536-2021