Tue 10/4 @ 6PM
Once upon a time, Akron, like Cleveland (and many other cities), had a bustling, thriving Black business district on Howard Street. From 1930-50 it was a regular stopping point for jazz acts traveling between New York and Chicago, and at one point supposedly had 60-70 jazz clubs, along with countless other businesses. As with many other Rust Belt cities, the decline of industry took its toll, and freeways slashing through Black neighborhoods did the rest.
Cleveland performance artist Latecia Delores Wilson bases her work on keeping histories alive using oral histories and community input to create performances built on traditional song and movement, poetry and storytelling. That work has yielded her short film about Howard Street called REMEMBERED.
“Images of the past blend with the present resurfacing memories embedded in place in the short film REMEMBERED,” she says. “What once was begs to be remembered and the truth of what took place exposed. Howard Street was a mecca in Akron for black businesses and artists. Urban development bulldozed black success and ownership, nearly erasing the memories of George Matthews, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and hundreds of Akron families. This visual is a reminder of what was, what is and what can be; honoring the black excellence of Howard Street and the black excellence systematically erased throughout.”
The film grew out of a residency at Akron Soul Train, which supports artists developing specific projects. Check it out at a screening at University of Akron’s Myers School of Art Auditorium; the screening will be followed with a Q&A with the artist.
2 Responses to “Short Film Recalls Once-Thriving Black Neighborhood in Akron”
Dave smith
If they could do it then than they can do it now I few up on Howard st in the 50and 60s we had to move do to the black crimes on white people and the community s the blacks own Akron before they came here Akron was one of the top ten city’s it was beautiful now look at it take a deep hard look at it
Jimmy
James Noel is a Akron jazz legend