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CELEBRATING BLACK CULTURE
CELEBRATING BLACK CULTURE CLEVELAND’S BLACK COMMUNITY IS DEEPLY WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF THE CITY
START ME UP!
[ By Silk Allen ]
FLEX WITH A WRAP
FORKIN’ GOOD
By Robert Gatewood and Jen Jones Donatelli
Pearl’s Kitchen
> Pearl’s Kitchen (Ohio City) On the heels of her successful catering business,
Tiwanna Scott-Williams is bringing her brand of “inspired comfort food” to the
Sauce the City food hall. (Can you say bourbon cream bread pudding?) > The Haunted House Restaurant (Cleveland Heights) If you can manage to snag a rezzie, bring your boo and sink your fangs into dishes like the “Children of the Street Corn” and “Nashville Massacre” fried hot shrimp. > Roaming Biscuit (St. Clair-Superior) Clevelanders have happily followed
Shawnda Moye’s breakfast pop-up around town since 2019, but now they can hit up its new café inside Tyler Village for crave-worthy biscuits and sammies.
> Capo Steaks (Glenville | University Circle)
Yelpers rave about Capo Steaks having “better cheesesteaks than Philly,” and turns out it’s not just hype. Taste for yourself with this popular spot’s real-deal cheesesteaks, Polish Boys and hoagies. > Black Box Fix (Glenville | Legacy Village) Get your gourmet sandwich fix courtesy of chef Eric Rogers, who adds Creole and Cajun flair to favorites like cheesesteaks and Reubens. (And did we mention the giant portions?) > The Boiler 65 (Detroit Shoreway | South Euclid) When it comes to
Cajun/Asian fusion, they’ve got it in the bag (literally). Mix and match boiled crab, shrimp, lobster and crawfish with corn, sausage and potatoes. > Battiste & Dupree Cajun Grill (South Euclid) This three-time “Taste of
Cleveland” winner is known for New Orleans-inspired dishes like chicken remoulade, jambalaya, gumbo and fried green tomatoes. Snag a sixer of mixed micro-brews to go or grab some pralines to satisfy your sweet tooth.
> Angie’s Soul Café (Cleveland | Warrensville Hts.)
Angie Jeter brought down-home South Carolina cooking to Cleveland in 1986 with her own spin, and she’s been satisfying local soul food lovers ever since with staples such as Carolina-style catfish and collard greens.
> Irie Jamaican Kitchen (Collinwood | Old Brooklyn)
Devotees of Irie Jamaican Kitchen swear by chef Omar McKay’s traditional and fusion Jamaican dishes, delivered in bowls and wraps. (Try the stew chicken for true “Jah-potle” goodness.) Bob Marley would approve!
The #Support
Black Owned
Businesses hashtag has 1.5 million posts on
Instagram, and
Cleveland’s Black business community offers plenty of ways to do just that. Caffeinate with a cold one from Cleveland
Cold Brew (inside GlenVillage) or raise a glass to urban vineyard Chateau Hough via a virtual wine tasting. On the beauty front, deck out your dome with a Perfect Pineapple head wrap or smooth it out with DorNee’ moisturizing products. Need more inspo?
Check out The
Real Black Friday, founded by LaRese
Purnell in 2014 to offer exposure to
Cleveland’s Blackowned businesses.
HERITAGE COMES ALIVE
EXPLORE BLACK HISTORY AT THESE SIGNIFICANT SITES.
[ By Aja Hannah ] African American Cultural Garden Located within the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, architect Daniel Bickerstaff designed this space to convey the past, present and future of the African American community, as well as promote the education and interest of its culture and heritage.
Karamu House Who needs Broadway with world-class theatre in our own backyard? Cleveland is an epicenter of arts and culture, boasting the nation’s oldest African American theatre. Founded in 1915, this cultural staple is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Hit up professional theatre productions and arts education while honoring the African American experience. Cleveland History Center Explore the past and spill the tea at the Cleveland History Center. Search online through the African American Archives or add your activist-related story. In person, be sure to visit the Carl & Louis Stokes Making History exhibit, spotlighting two Black Clevelanders who made national history in the political arena.
League Park & Baseball Heritage Museum Long before Progressive Field, League Park was Cleveland’s resident field of dreams. See the spot where the Cleveland Buckeyes clinched the 1945 Negro League World Series, then explore the adjacent museum packed with stories and sports treasures from the lost Latin, Caribbean, Barnstormer, Negro and Women’s leagues. Cozad-Bates House Interpretive Center Long regarded for its important role on the Underground Railroad, the Cozad-Bates House stands as the only surviving pre-Civil War structure in University Circle. Its new indoor-outdoor interpretive center underscores the area’s significance in the abolitionist movement with photos, newspaper articles, engravings and more.
MLK Jr. Concert
A MONTH TO REMEMBER
Every February, organizations including the Cleveland Orchestra, Karamu House, Playhouse Square and many more commemorate Black History Month with a compelling lineup of initiatives and programs. Cases in point: Going on 18 years strong, the Cavaliers are expected to host their annual Black Heritage Month, while the Cleveland Pops Orchestra will pay homage to the music of George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller and Scott Joplin on February 18, 2022, with a Black History Month celebration concert. And as part of its “By the Book” author series, Western Reserve Historical Society will welcome Let the Oppressed Go Free author Rev. Dr. Marvin A. McMickle.
SHOP THE CITY
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Deep Roots Experience is the newest addition to the Fairfax neighborhood’s already vibrant cultural community— highlighting artwork by Black creatives and offering youth art programming.
Black art is intentionally front and center at Framed Gallery, showcasing contemporary work from across the globe in the hip Waterloo Arts District. In a post-Zoom world, you may need some help reinventing your closet. Online boutique Luxe Lab has your back with their trendy line of jumpers, sets and dresses.
Luxury streetwear brand Living Rich invites you to “Define Your Rich” without a designer price via their killer collection of high-end affordable unisex apparel. Cleveland native and Provok founder Gregory Joyce II uses his company’s social media platform to empower, educate and inspire. Spread the message by sporting Provok’s stylish line of T-shirts, hoodies and facemasks.
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YOU’LL BE STYLIN’ AND PROFILIN’ WITH THESE BLACK-OWNED RETAILERS AND BRANDS.
By Silk Allen
