CELEBRATING HISTORIC

CELEBRATING HISTORIC CLEVELAND LEADERS: PART II

Al-Hajj Wali Akram was an inventor, and a leader to a community who eventually would become one of the most influential people in Cleveland history. by David Christel

Family, community, and education. These were three of the primary areas of importance focused on by Imam Al-Hajj Wali Akram, founder of the First Cleveland Mosque in 1937 and first official home to Muslims in Cleveland. In 1937, Cleveland and the world were very different places. Due to Imam Akram’s influence and leadership, the Muslim community has grown immensely in numerous ways. Imam Akram was born in Bryan, Texas, in 1904. His name: Walter Reese Gregg. He and his brothers, all eight of them, were blessed with insatiable curiosity and inventiveness. Several inventors among them, Walter and one of his brothers invented and patented the Reese Hitch, the trailer hitch you’ll find used around the world. They sold the patent for $900, which back then, was a lot of money. After attending Prairie View State College where he studied electrical engineering, Walter attended Lane Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee, along with several of his brothers. But, gifted with an inquisitive mind, the teachers didn’t take kindly to his pointed and probing questions, so he left the seminary. While in Tennessee, he discovered and became interested in Islam.

St. Louis is where he headed next. While there, he saw a sign in a store window that said, “Change your name and become free.” The year was 1923. He converted to Islam and adopted his Islamic name, Wali Akram. He took to the religion and language quickly and was soon teaching Arabic. He eventually published a book in 1946,

Imam Al-Hajj Wali Akram

Arabic Made Easy. Then, in 1925, he married Kareema and over the years raised thirteen children. A family-oriented couple, everyone gravitated to them. Kareema was the backbone of the family and Wali eventually became the glue for the entire Muslim community. In that same year, Wali hosted and worked with visiting Muslim missionaries. Upon their departure, he became the leader of Cleveland’s young Muslim community. But it wasn’t until 1937, when he founded the First Cleveland Mosque, that he took on the mantle of Imam.

The first mosque was located on Woodland Avenue with the Akram family living above the mosque. The

mosque moved several times over the decades and is now located on East 131 St. in Cleveland.

The mosque’s mission was to educate the Muslim community, as well as spread the Islamic message of peace, love, and unity. First Cleveland Mosque was able to reach a milestone in peace-making through the diverse religious groups in Cleveland that also spread throughout the region. Imam Akram had a printing press and began producing “The Meccabian Press” newsletter in both Arabic and English. He also owned a grocery store and was famous for handing out IOUs to customers who were unable to pay or who were struggling financially. Imam Akram truly believed in supporting and working together with all members of the community. One of Imam Akram’s historic accomplishments with First Cleveland Mosque was the development of a 10-year action plan, which included strategies for economic self-sufficiency and building a strong, heathy, vibrant, and beautiful community working for the good of all humanity. A master teacher, Imam Akram was in demand around the country, giving lectures and educating communities spiritually and financially. He was considered a moderate but was also progressive as he helped women rise in stature and positions within the Muslim community at a time when women were considered second-class people. Though Imam Akram passed away in 1994, he is well-remembered throughout Cleveland, as well as around the world. He will be celebrated at the mosque’s 85th anniversary as those who knew him personally recall his intelligence, wisdom, leadership, and spiritual depth. ●