Social Status of African American Community in Cleveland - Essay Example

 African American in Cleveland Abstract Other than places like Chicago, Cleveland was one location where the African American mass migration from the south relocated to. Cleveland was majorly populated by the whites and few evolving blacks that had risen from the earlier slave class. The migration and life of the blacks in Cleveland proved quite difficult in accessing industrial jobs, similar white education and social facilities at first. The blacks had to work extra hard to secure their position in the developing community and managed to put up Thomas W. Fleming as the first black man in the city council. Edna Hunter on the other hand supported the unmarried black girls through Phillis Wheatley Association. Wealthy Black invested in real estate, a municipal power plant was established, and later Ernest Bohn introduced public housing in Cleveland and rest of United States. Each of these efforts worked to develop the deteriorating city condition and livelihoods. Keyword: African Americans, Blacks, Whites, PWA, Municipal Power Plant, Municipal Lighting System, Thomas, W. Fleming, Politics, Migration, Cleveland’s Reality , Housing and Investment Company, Ernest Bohn, Public Housing, Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority Introduction and problem statement: During the end of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century, there was a mass migration of the African American people from the South headed to the North. Majority of these people and their families had been slaves on plantations owned by white men. Over time, life was becoming intolerable and new revolution was setting in. A large number migrated from the rural south into the urban North to look for a better life and opportunities. Cleveland in Ohio was one of the many destinations that the black community populated within few years. However, African Americans arrival in Cleveland was faced by both social and health problems, ranging from disease outbreaks and racism, which was a barrier to accessing health and social facilities. 1. What was PWA? The defenseless, young, and unmarried African American girls faced numerous risks such as the suspicious and unprincipled employers and agencies in Cleveland. Having shared similar difficulties like early age domestic work, Jane Edna hunter founded an association known as ‘Working Girls Home Association’ in 1911, to house and support these girls (Cleveland Historical Team, n.d.). Basically, it was established as an organization to help the unmarried black girls by providing them with affordable housing. Within a few years, the organization increased its capacity of boarding girls and changed its name into Phillis Wheatley Association. As it expanded, it sought to uplift the welfare and efforts of the housed girls and the larger African American community with recreational activities. They learnt and improved their skills through sewing, cooking, sports, handicraft, sports, and dramatization activities among others (“Phillis Wheatley,” n.d). In the modern times, it plays a critical role in Cleveland’s community by providing diverse programs and social services to support the different age groups. All her life, Jane Edna hunter’s venture was in social work, which she committed to support her society. Apart from the challenges in her early life, Edna hunter had acquired education by the time she came to Cleveland. She had a nursing degree from Virginia, had previously acquired domestic work experiences, hired as a private nurse for several Cleveland’s prominent families before she began the foundation, and later studied law and passed the Ohio bar in 1925 (“Jane Edna,” n.d.). The controversy surrounding the association rose from the divided black community and challenges over its financial problems and leadership. Edna hunter faced opposition and critics from one segment of the black community (prosperous black women who had risen from the servant class), which resisted institutional segregation in argument that it promoted racial division, was controlled by the wealthy whites, and limited girls to training on domestic roles to serve the whites (Kusmer, 1978). Considering the financial situation of PWA and the desired achievements, Edna chose to remain steadfast over her segregation and accepted the sponsor’s conditions to allow elite white women lead the organization. Even though she acquired enemies, she considered her group’s needs, went ahead to receive the money to maintain her foundation, and train girls on the domestic roles. 2. Who was Thomas Fleming? He had arrived almost a decade earlier than Edna Hunter in Cleveland, established himself economically, and developed close association with the white elites in pursuit of venturing into politics someday. Thomas had become a barber upon arrival in Cleveland and shared similar political ideology with the powerful men he shaved. He studied law and became a prominent lawyer, which supported a big part of his political career. He politically aligned himself with the Republican party, became one of Cleveland’s long term city councilmen and Republican State executive committee member; ideally, the first black city councilman in Cleveland, he chaired fire and council’ police committees, and was a famous and wealthy lawyer in courts and a newspaper (Trickey, 2010). Above all he had achieved personal happiness and prestige in a black society, not to mention the newspaper business partnership, and later the investments he made. His position and responsibility contributed both positively and negatively to the black community and his political career. The benefit of his position to the black community was their pride and empowerment. Because he was an established lawyer, majority of the black society’s organizations had incorporated him in their organization’s executives team a defense lawyer to their rights. An example is the Cleveland Association of colored men. He also became a role model for the some black entrepreneurs and professionals. The political association with prominent people and power gave him influential power, which he used in favor to enable job opportunities in government and industries for the black workers in Cleveland. There was also more development on the streets along which rich black men resided. Like any other modern politician, he tactically made a political move to secure his political future; he betrayed his political mentor by supporting another candidate through alliances. Through the incidence he acquired himself tuff political competitors and opponents, who almost cost his seat in the council. The same political career was terminated by controversial court hearings and judgment over his alleged accusation of taking bribery from a disabled policeman, which resulted in Fleming’s imprisonment of 27 months (Trickey, 2010). Part of the black society associated him with moral degradation of the occupied streets by the black society in his tenure in power. He was a scandalous man involved in furthering crimes within the black society; strongly associated with Boyd, a gambling house operator while Fleming defended the gambles and other immoral activities availed to him. 3. Cleveland reality, housing and investment company The company was founded by several wealthy black men in the Cleveland society. It was an investment in housing for the increasing population in the county, and a great way to enable the suffering black families to have access to affordable housing facilities. First of all, a high number of African America was still streaming in Cleveland in search of better life opportunities, and as they worked within the developing city in the time, they needed affordable housing. Another class of the flourishing black community needed better or upgrade housing structures. Although racial discrimination was slowly edging out, the increasing number of black community experienced severe housing shortage. Like any entrepreneur, this was business opportunity where investors would benefit from the tight housing demand. Cleveland Reality, Housing and investment Company was founded in 1917, by a group of prominent, black real estate dealers in Cleveland (inclusive were Thomas W Fleming, Walter Wills and Blue Welcome ), which not only benefited them, but helped to solve the social problem for its black community (Keating et al, 1995). Other prosperous black men as the likes Alonzo Wright invested in other services, which all pulled together to uplift the lives of the black people. However, within the first two years, the housing investment headed by Fleming had “acquired almost every apartment building on East 40th street between central and Scovill avenues” (Keating et al, 1995, p. 275). The shocking scandals in his life and career as a lawyer and politician developed critics over his investment in the company. The changing regulation on land use and measures to preserve values, competition from modern buildings brought with increased urbanization and changes in society reduced their profits in the investment. 4. Controversy surrounding Municipal power plant (Cleveland public power) Since the early 20th century, there was much debates and politics been played over the public ownership of utilities/natural monopolies such as water, learning facilities, power and transit systems among others, for the sake of the wage earners who risked to suffer while the privileged class gained. The main problem the society and Cleveland municipal council feared were the people’s monopolization by the privately owned companies that sustained, and supplied the city with its needs. The proposal for municipal power plants by Mayor Johnson in his tenure aroused opposition from owners of the utilizes and other business owners; and at most his proposal dismissed by a special committee of the chamber of commerce that preferred regulation of the monopolized private electric firms and their utilities rather than municipal ownership (Campbell, 1997). Right from the inception of the idea to the Cleveland community, socialist supporters praised it for it was due to provide affordable essential services to the society, while opposition came from private business owners, as it was a move to hinder capitalist nature. Despite the opposition, Johnson’s successor (Mayor Baker) managed to convince the chamber of commerce over the benefit of establishing a municipal lighting plant. Preparations were underway by 1912 and in 1914 a new municipal power plant began operation (Campbell, 1997). Over time municipal power plant had managed to save millions of dollars for the Cleveland people. The consumers of the municipal lights almost tripled within fifteen years since municipal power plant began operation, which called for extra effort of the municipality to expand the resources. At first, Municipal power plant offered cheaper prices for electricity in the market than Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company (CEI) did, but its success was challenged by numerous elements from the its leadership, limited growth potential, CEI catch up and competition among other economic factors that all contributed to its long time dispute from the 1930s. CEI later managed to reduce its electricity charges and remained the main greatest competitor and threat to Municipal lighting. Although its charges were slightly higher than Municipal’s, it attracted more customers than anyone would think by expanding steadily and removing the service charge, which Municipal power plant still struggled with. CEI rivalry extended deep into Cleveland’s politics. Walter, the president of Cleveland Municipal Light Plant Association (CMLPA) exposed CEI’s strategy of lobbying the council against municipality’s lighting venture, and financing the referendum to block its reconstruction and improvement of the facilities when the federal government provided grants for the municipality to do so (Campbell, 1997). CMLPA stepped in, lobbied and mobilized the leaders and society to prevent the monopoly action of the CEI and secure the federal approved policy for the municipal lighting plat repairs and improvement. Over the following decades since the 1930s, CEI and the Municipal wrangled over which party could own the other, or dominate in the market. The municipal had made efforts earlier to purchase the CEI but failed. When the financial situation of the municipal lighting deteriorated, the controversy reached its climax in 1977 when “CEI offered to purchase municipal lighting system in an effort to wrest the city from the large debt that it had accumulated” (Braunlich & Sisson, n.d., n.p). The issue became a determinant of the voter’s choice, who opted to select Kucinich as their mayor, in line to retaining the Municipal lighting system. Although the situation of the municipal lighting plant was delicate, Clevelander choose not to dispose it to the monopoly because it would mean their lost power. To date it remains Cleveland’s property. The leadership of power plant, especially during the time of crisis and in 1930s was not commendable. It exhibited political mischievous behavior in managing the public utilities. According to Campbell, between 1930 and 1936, the occupants of the Mayor’s office changed six times, with the occupants been the political allies of various chief executives (1997). Issues of mismanagement and corruption were what drove to power battle in the office until CMLPA formed to call for order and rekindle the interests of the public power plant. With the help of the federal government, lawyers such as Paul Walter, conscience employees, successive elected Mayors, representatives and the Cleveland’s society, Cleveland’s Municipal power plant overcame the long term controversies to what it is today. 5. Public housing and its effects Cleveland’s public housing one of a kind that came to be imitated by the rest of developing cities in United States. According to Becker, in honor of Ernest J Bohn’s effort, where he founded and directed Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority, he is today regarded as the father of public housing (2012).  By the time Bohn was involved in politics, Cleveland’s state of housing condition had deteriorated. Slums had grown very fast and the housing condition of any one family in the populated slum areas obviously required an improvement of their social welfare. The environment degradation and poor sanitation within Cleveland required full attention to improve health and cleanliness within the city. According to Campbell, Ernest Bohn pushed for the passage of the public housing bill, semi private public housing corporation and essentially low cost houses for the city (2009). Due to these problems, as a city council representative of Hough area, he embarked on changing the housing environment to facilitate affordable housing and clean surrounding as a way of countering congestion, poor sanitation and immoral acts that faced poor city dwellers and families. His effort led to large public housing developments in Cleveland which influenced other developments across U.S. Positives: The establishment of public housing in Cleveland helped to improve the housing of the families in the city, by constructing sizable apartments to fit the enlarging families. Because of housing shortages and higher prices been charged by the housing and real estate dealers earlier on, a large or average size of the family would end up renting a less spacious apartment, for which to some was congested, with the kitchen, resting and sleeping location been the same place. The design of the public housing provided the society with a range of different roomed houses at a fair price. For example, the Cleveland’s Cedar Central apartments occupied in 1937 entailed apartments consisting of either 2 up to 5 rooms and charged between twenty and thirty two U.S dollars (Roberts, 2010). The set lower prices were to facilitate affordability for the lower wage earners. The plan lay out for the construction of public housing targeted on improving the environment, which the society lived in. Cleveland’ housing project was a way to offset slums development. Areas occupied by slums were replaced with public houses in a proper arrangement and design. Public housing intend to bring in development and sanitation through its cooperate action with the residents. Another benefit is the consideration of the people qualified to lease/occupy the public housing. Though it is usually an issue with many controversies even in other States and modern public housing, Cleveland’s public housing placed consideration on the low and middle class families with low income earnings. Negatives: Most disputes arise from the mode used evaluate ones qualification as a resident. Claims of discrimination never miss out. Ones in Cleveland’s Cedar Central apartments, after the close to 200 buildings in the slums were cleared all reconstruction of the apartments, the black residents displaced from the location could not be able to access the facilities after the construction; the situation turned into a racial segregation in the complex as the whites occupied them (Roberts, 2010). In such a case, issues of management become intertwined with racial bias in accessing public utilities. Earnest Bohn was accused of promoting racial prejudice when it came to filling the housing units developed and managed by Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority. The other negatives are the displacement of society and to access the land property for construction of public housing. Conclusion The history and development of Cleveland city and its resident in Ohio marked an early form o civilization brought by the contentious mix of races. The Blacks had come to occupy a Cleveland freeing from slavery in the south only to face further discrimination from the white Cleveland’s occupants. Both the whites and the blacks’ cooperation improved the life Cleveland dwellers trough political engagement, investment, industrial employment and social welfare. Racial segregation denied the blacks opportunities the white society enjoyed; forcing the African American to seek ways to survive and improve blacks’ society. Phillis Wheatley association, Thomas W Fleming political empowerment, and blacks’ investment in Cleveland’s Reality, Housing and Investment Company assisted improve blacks’ lives through recreational training, job opportunities and housing. This was later enhanced by Ernest’s public housing by clearing slums and redeveloping better and cheaper public housing. The Municipal power plant of Cleveland sought to provide cheaper power utility to its residents hence allowing development for Clevelanders. However, all these developments were full of controversies and challenges, but marked a historical evolution of Cleveland. Reference List  Becker, T. G. (2012). Legendary Locals of Cleveland. South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. Braunlich, D. & Sisson, M. (n.d.). Cleveland Municipal Light. Retrieved from http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/474#.Up3j1NKxWkw. Campbell, T. F. (1997, July 21). Municipal Ownership – The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Retrieved from http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=MO. Campbell, T. F. (2009, November 21). “Public Housing -The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.” Retrieved from http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=PH3. Cleveland Historical Team. (n.d.). Phillis Wheatley Association. Retrieved from http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/19#.UpzCbNKxWkw. “Jane Edna Hunter.” (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ohme.squidoo.com/jane-edna-hunter.  Keating, W. D., Krumholz, N. & Perr, D. C. (Eds.). (1995). Cleveland: A Metropolitan Reader. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press. Kusmer, K. L. (1978). A Ghetto Takes Shape: Black Cleveland, 1870-1930. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. “Phillis Wheatley Association Record.” (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/view?docId=ead/OCLWHi2121.xml;chunk.id=scopecontent_1;brand=default. Roberts, M. (2010, September 28). Public Housing in Cleveland: A History of Firsts. Retrieved from http://www.teachingcleveland.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=106:public-housing Trickey, E. (2010, August). Thomas Fleming: Cleveland’s First Black Councilman. Retrieved from http://www.teachingcleveland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=422:thomas-fleming-clevelands-first-black-councilman&catid=101:black-political-power-in-ohio-pre-world-war-2&Itemid=174 Read More