Honoring Our Story Preserving Our Pride

Forever East Cleveland - A legacy in pictures celebrating a city that shaped generations.

Honoring Our Story Preserving Our Pride

Forever East Cleveland - A legacy in pictures celebrating a city that shaped generations.

About Forever East Cleveland

Forever East Cleveland is a visual anthology capturing the pride, beauty, and everyday life of East Cleveland’s thriving African American years — from the mid-1960s through the early 2000s.

Often mischaracterized as a period of decline, those who lived it know it was a time of cultural excellence, connection, and achievement. At its height, East Cleveland was home to more than 40,000 residents and stood as one of the most prominent majority-Black communities in the country — a city defined by strong schools, vibrant neighborhoods, and deep community pride.

Through hundreds of photographs — from classrooms and parades to block parties, churches, and local businesses — this book tells the story as it was truly lived.

At a time when many historic Black communities across the country have disappeared or been reshaped, Forever East Cleveland serves as both preservation and tribute — honoring what was built and ensuring the legacy of the city lives on.

A portion of proceeds will support youth education and community programs in East Cleveland.

Be Part of the Story!

This book is being built by us — the people who lived it.

Forever East Cleveland is a collective effort to preserve the pride, beauty, and everyday life of a city that shaped generations. Every photo is more than an image — it’s a memory, a moment, and a piece of our shared story.

We invite you to contribute photographs that reflect the excellence, joy, and community that defined East Cleveland during its most vibrant years. Together, these images will be carefully curated into a coffee table book that honors and preserves the city’s rich African American legacy.

How to Take Part

1. Submit Your Photos
From the mid-1960s through the early 2000s, including:

School life — classrooms, events, band, athletics
Neighborhood life — block parties, family, friendships
Landmarks — churches, businesses, parks, streets
Community celebrations — parades, festivals, gatherings
Everyday moments — the life and spirit of the city

2. Spread the Word
Share this project with classmates, family, and others connected to East Cleveland so we can capture the full breadth of our community’s story.

Note: While not every photo will be included in the final book, every submission plays an important role in preserving our shared history and ensuring that East Cleveland’s story is told the way it deserves.

Submit Your Photos

Why I created Forever East Cleveland

I grew up in East Cleveland in the 1970s and ’80s and graduated from Shaw High School in 1988. Like many of us, I remember a city full of energy, pride, and excellence — a place that shaped who we became and that I carry with me to this day.

Over time, much of that history has been lost or misunderstood. When I speak about East Cleveland and the vibrancy we experienced, not everyone sees it the same way. Forever East Cleveland is our way of showing it — sharing our story, the true story, through the moments we lived.

This project is not just about photos. It’s about legacy, pride, and love for a city that mattered — and still matters.

— Darren Reed
Creator, Forever East Cleveland

Honoring Our Story Preserving Our Pride

Honoring Our Story Preserving Our Pride

About Forever East Cleveland

Be Part of the Story!

How to Take Part

Why I created Forever East Cleveland

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