Sat 10/12 @ 6-11:30PM
Construction of the African-American Garden at the Cleveland Cultural Garden has only started in the last few years, although the Association of African-American Cultural Gardens began planning it more than a decade ago.
While more elements are in the planning stages, they’ve already built the archway and converging black marble walls symbolizing the Middle Passage. To get the full impact, leave MLK Boulevard and go to around the top to E. 82 Street, looking down through the structure. If you’re lucky, one of the neighbors on that residential street will come out and talk to you about the garden, its symbolism and what’s in the works.
The Association of African-American Gardens is hosting a benefit to complete the work and raise money for ongoing preservation of the garden, taking place at the Global Center for Health Innovation downtown.
Special guest keynote speaker is Ohio Supreme County Justice Melody J. Stewart, who earned her law degree at Cleveland’s Marshall School of Law and her PhD at Case Western Reserve. When she was elected to Ohio’s highest court in November 2018, she became the first African-American Democrat to be elected statewide, as well as the first African-American woman elected to the court. Her victory came at a critical time when the court may be in charge of deciding whether the legislature has to follow the new redistricting rules passed by voters last year with 71%.
Tickets are $125 per person; $220 for a duo.
Cleveland, OH 44114