ClevelandPeople.Com Celebrating Cleveland's Cultural Diversity
Underground Railroad in Cleveland - Cozad Bates House
Underground Railroad in Cleveland - Cozad Bates House
Ohio had many stops on the Underground Railroad. Canada was an ultimate destination since they had abolished slavery in 1793. The short distance across Lake Erie from Cleveland to Canada made the city a popular destination. Cleveland was codenamed Hope on the Underground Railroad.
One of the historic places was at what is called the Cozad-Bates House at the corner of Mayfield and East 115th Street, between Euclid and Little Italy. The house has been restored by Restore Cleveland Hope. Their mission is "to celebrate Cleveland's historic anti-slavery past." The non-profit operates the Underground Railroad Interpretive Center in the Cozad-Bates House, the only surviving pre-Civil War building in University Circle.
Each Saturday from noon - 4PM they host free tours of the historic location. If you can't attend in person take a look at these pages of photos and videos from our recent visit.
The American Lebanese Community Council is a non profit organization created for all of Lebanese descent and their families regardless of their political affiliation or religion. They hosted the 11th annual Lebanon Day in Cleveland at an event in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall. All day the flag of Lebanon flew above Cleveland City Hall and was displayed in the Rotunda.
On November 16th, 2022 Google launched its partnership with 18 world-class Cleveland institutions to bring the city's culture -past and present -online on its Google Arts & Culture platform and app at goo.gle/explorecleveland.
Cleveland is the sixth US city to launch on Google Arts & Culture. With 18+ partners, 80+ stories, 37,000+ artifacts, 90+ videos, and 10+ sites captured in 360° Museum Street View, the project celebrates the city's cultural DNA as an industrial giant with cultural refinement.
Google Arts & Culture Cleveland Groups
For the first time, everyone everywhere can engage with these organizations across the city in one digital location and discover its unique culture--from art world heavyweights like the Cleveland Museum of Art, and musical legend-makers like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and only-in-Cleveland collections like Karamu House and FRONT International and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.
The story is that Erik the Red named the ice covered Greenland and the green covered Iceland that way to attract settlers to Greenland and dissuade them from coming to Iceland. In this episode of Fun with Maps host Dan Hanson looks at that story about naming the largest island in the world, Greenland. (Isn't Australia bigger? Watch and find out).
Many are surprised that Greenland is part of North America and part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland is 80% covered with ice and has historically, and currently, been affected by changes to the climate. After the US bought Alaska from Russia in the 1860's, Secretary of State William Seward tried to buy Greenland and Iceland. Congress voted it down. Other attempts by the US to buy Greenland have also been rejected. It's a fascinating map.
Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association Deepavali Celebration
Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association Deepavali Celebration
The Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association is a non-profit, social, linguistic and cultural organization; incorporated under the Non Profit Corporation act of the State of Ohio, to integrate, coordinate, network and unite the activities of all Kannadigas, to preserve and promote the Kannada language and culture in Northeast Ohio; celebrate, experience and enjoy authentic cuisine from various parts of Karnataka.
On November 12, 2022 they hosted a large (500+ people) Deepavali celebration. The event featured singing, dance and other cultural performances as well as community resources such as Cleveland Clinic doctors performing health screens.
Hindi, Kannada, etc. - The diverse languages and dialects of India
Hindi, Kannada, etc. - The diverse languages and dialects of India
We spoke with Dr. Naveen Uli at a celebration of Diwali hosted by the Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association. Dr. Uli said that while some think of the Indian diaspora as monolithic, in reality it is very diverse linguistically and in other ways. He said that there are dialects of his own home language spoken in Karnataka, a state in the southwestern region of India, that even he cannot understand. He said that Hindi serves as the national language but even Indian currency has 15 other languages listed. Watch the video.
Punya Koti - The Tiger and the Cows tale acted out by children
Punya Koti - The Tiger and the Cows tale acted out by children
At a celebration of Diwali hosted by the Kasturi Kannada Cultural Association a group of children acted out the story based on a celebrated folk tale of Karnataka. A mother cow, Punya Koti, is confronted by a tiger in the woods who is going to eat her. She tells the tiger that she has to feed her calf and promises to return to him after she feeds her. The tiger doesn't believe she will return but lets her go. The mother cow feeds her calf and then goes back to the tiger as she promised. The tiger is very surprised and appreciates her motherly actions and realizes that God will never forgive him if he eats this honest soul so he lets her go. The tiger bows down to all 3 gods, jumps up high in the air, fell flat on the ground and died. Children are told this tale to teach truth, honesty and keeping promises.
Cardiac and other disease in South Asian population
Cardiac and other disease in South Asian population
Dr. Aravinda Nanjundappa is a cardiology specialist at Cleveland Clinic's main campus. He said that despite the seemingly healthier diet, the Indian population actually suffers from heart disease earlier in life than Caucasians. In addition, life expectancy is lower for this group. Dr. Nanjundappa gives his recommendations to get and stay healthy. Watch below.
We also spoke with Dr. Deepakraj Gajanana who is also an interventional cardiologist. He said that when he sees the disease burden of someone he wishes the patient could go back in time 5-10 years and make lifestyle changes so they would not be on his table. He said that people from India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, etc. generally have smaller size of arteries which leads to problems. Watch below.
In 1976 a Cherokee/Osage Indian named Jerry C. Elliott-High Eagle authored Native American Awareness Week legislation; the first historical week of recognition in the nation for native peoples. In 1986, President Reagan proclaimed November 23-30 as American Indian Week, which would typically fall alongside American Thanksgiving. Four years later, President George H. W. Bush designated the entire month of November as National American Indian Heritage Month thereafter commonly referred to as Native American Heritage Month.
Pow Wow at Edgewater Park
Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the indigenous peoples of the United States, including Hawaii and territories of the United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Canada and other times just the mainland United States. There are 574 federally recognized tribes living within the US, about half of which are associated with Indian reservations. "Native Americans" (as defined by the United States Census) are indigenous tribes that are originally from the contiguous United States, along with Alaska Natives.
Indigenous peoples of the United States who are not American Indian or Alaska Native include Native Hawaiians, Samoans, and Chamorros. The US Census groups these peoples as "Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander".
According to the Smithsonian, the Choctaw Nation was the first of the large southeastern tribes relocated under the Indian Removal Act. Between 1831 and 1833, around 20,000 Choctaw people set out on the journey to Oklahoma from their traditional lands east of the Mississippi River. The relocated peoples suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation while in route to their newly designated Indian reserve. Historians estimate that 4,000 died along the way or shortly after.
The Trail of Tears was a series of forced displacements of approximately 60,000 American Indians of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. Members of the so-called "Five Civilized Tribes"-the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations (including thousands of their black slaves)-were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands in the Southeastern United States to areas west of the Mississippi River that had been designated Indian Territory.
The effort was vehemently opposed by some, including U.S. Congressman Davy Crockett of Tennessee, but President Andrew Jackson was able to gain Congressional passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Trail of Tears memorial in New Echota, Georgia
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic the Great Famine, also known as the Great Hunger was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1849, which constituted a historical social crisis which had a major impact on Irish society and history as a whole. The worst year of the period was 1847, known as "Black '47". During the Great Hunger, roughly a million people died and more than a million fled the country, causing the country's population to fall by 20-25%. Between 1845 and 1855, no fewer than 2.1 million people left Ireland, one of the greatest exoduses from a single island in history. There are various reasons for the Great Hunger but I won't get into the politics of it. Suffice it to say, it caused a drastic and lasting change in the relationship between the Irish and British.
In 1847, only 14 years after their long march along the Trail of Tears ended Choctaw people in Oklahoma learned of the Irish famine. Choctaw individuals made donations totaling $170, the equivalent of several thousand dollars today, for the relief of the Irish poor. This empathy by a one mistreated group for another was historic.
There is a memorial in Cleveland's Flats to those who died in the Great Hunger.
Irish Famine Memorial in Cleveland
In 2014 in his sermon at the 15th Annual Irish Famine Memorial Mass, Fr. Jim O'Donnell told the story of how the Choctaw Indians, who had just survived the Trail of Tears, helped the Irish people with the few funds that they had.
The goal of the dance troupe is "to preserve the rich musical and dance heritage of all the regions of Greece and the Greek diaspora by teaching our dancers the pride of performing, while also acting as ambassadors to the Greater Cleveland community."
The troupe performed dances from the Naxos, Kalymnos, Icaria and Epiros and the popular and traditional Kalamatiano Greek dance was performed as a grand finale.
The Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) celebration was put on by Dia de Muertos Ohio and Cleveland Public Theatre. The Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos) is a holiday largely developed in Mexico, where it is mostly observed, but also in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. It normally takes place on All Saints Day and All Souls Day (November 1 and 2).
The Parade makes a few stops to visit altars like the one at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church where a mariachi band performed and there was a colorful Mexican dance.
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation (CCGF) hosted a Gala event Friday October 28, 2022.
The Stellar Acrobatic Dance Academy performed. Stellar Acrobatic Dance Academy is a non profit organization located in Cleveland, Ohio with a mission to provide an excellent cultural dance education for children. In 2015 Stellar Acrobatic Dance Academy was founded by three internationally known Chinese acrobats. They have participated in many international shows around the world.
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation (CCGF) hosted a Gala event Friday October 28, 2022. It featured speeches by CCGF President Dr. Wael Khoury and Cleveland Foundation CEO Ronn Richard.
There were performances by Greek, Peruvian and Chinese dancers.
Diwali is also known as the Festival of Lights. You may also hear it called Deepavali. It is a Hindu religious festival and one of the most important festivals within Hinduism. It generally lasts five days (or six in some regions of India), and started Monday October 24, 2022. The five-day long festival originated in the Indian subcontinent and is mentioned in early Sanskrit texts.
Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". The festival is widely associated with Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity and Ganesha, god of wisdom and the remover of obstacles, with many other regional traditions connecting the holiday to others.
In the lead-up to Deepavali, celebrants prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis (colorful art circle patterns). During Diwali, people wear their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with diyas and rangoli, perform worship ceremonies of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where mithai (sweets) and gifts are shared.
Originally a Hindu festival, Diwali has transcended religious lines and is also celebrated by Jains and Sikhs. It is a major cultural event for the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain diaspora and the main day of the festival of Diwali (the day of Lakshmi Puja) is an official holiday in Fiji, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ireland's Ambassador to the US, was in town for the annual conference of Irish Network USA, the national umbrella organization integrating the Irish Networks that exist in various cities across the US. She was the guest of honor at a reception in the Rotunda of Cleveland City Hall.
Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason in Cleveland City Hall
Ambassadors Nason and Crawford in Irish Cultural Garden
Ambassadors Geraldine Byrne Nason and Ed Crawford in Irish Cultural Garden
Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ireland's Ambassador to the US, was in town for the annual conference of Irish Network USA, the national umbrella organization integrating the Irish Networks that exist in various cities across the United States. Before the reception she joined former US Ambassador to Ireland Ed Crawford and Irish Network Cleveland leader Mark Owens at the Irish Cultural Garden in Cleveland.
Ambassador Ed Crawford and Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason in Cleveland's Irish Cultural Garden
The inaugural class of the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame on October 16, 2022 at the American Croatian Lodge in Eastlake, Ohio just east of Cleveland.
The first ten honorees are Fred Couples, Helen Crlenkovich, John Havlicek, Mickey Lolich, Roger Maris, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Mark Pavelich, Joe Sakic, and Joe Stydahar. Long time sports broadcaster, Jerome Jurenovich served as the Master of Ceremonies for this inaugural CAS-HOF induction banquet and ceremony.
Fun with Maps - Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)
Fun with Maps - Great Britain
The recent passing of Queen Elizabeth led to some confusion, even in media reports, about the difference between England, the UK, Great Britain and so on. Was she Queen of England? Why was she in Scotland? What about the Prince of Wales? In this episode of Fun with Maps host Dan Hanson looks at the island of Great Britain which consists of England, Scotland and Wales. It is not the same as England or the United Kingdom. Great Britain is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. So what's the United Kingdom? The United Kingdom is a sovereign country in Europe that comprises England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and many smaller islands within the British Isles.
This episode also covers the English Channel, the Chunnel, the Mull of Kintyre, the character of Britannia, the Firth of Forth, Treaty of Union, the patron saints and flags of the 3 countries, the vast range of the British Empire and more. Subscribe to see more Fun with Maps episodes.
Cleveland International Hall of Fame - What a Night!
Cleveland International Hall of Fame - What a Night!
Since 2010, the Cleveland International Hall of Fame (CIHF) has inducted people who have made significant and lasting contributions to our multicultural society. Cleveland is home to people representing about 120 different ethnic groups. The CIHF exists not only to honor those special people but also to inspire a new generation of leaders to follow in their footsteps.
Over 150 worthy candidates were nominated for both the 2020 and 2022 Classes of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame. The selection committee was advised by previously inducted members of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.
Covid-19 forced the always sold out induction ceremonies to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021. We tried to induct the 2020 class virtually but it was not the same. So once we were able to gather together again, we included the 2020 class in the induction ceremony along with the 2022 class on June 7, 2022. The event at Windows on the River was a sell out and the 2020 class finally got their moment in the spotlight.
2022 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
2022 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame Seated (l-r) Anda Cook, Taras Szmagala Standing - Victor Ruiz, Carl Robson MD
2020 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame
2020 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame Seated (l-r) Margaret Lynch, May Chen, Valarie McCall
Standing Berj Shakarian, Joe Valencic, Ramesh Shah
We had always planned on doing a Fun with Maps episode about Ukraine but due to the tragic current situation we moved it up in order. People are understandably very curious to know more about the country of Ukraine. And yes it is a country. It is not THE Ukraine; it is the country of Ukraine. Using the term THE Ukraine makes it sound like a region of another country as opposed to a sovereign nation.
Ukraine is the second-largest country by area in Europe after Russia, which it borders to the east and north-east. Ukraine also shares borders with Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the south; and has a coastline along the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. It spans an area of 233,062 sq. miles with a population of 43.6 million. That makes it the eighth-most populous country in Europe.
We briefly talk about the history of Ukraine including the tragedy at Chernobyl and the Holodomor. We also touch on the great writer Lesya Ukrainka and pysanky Easter eggs.
"It just didn't seem right to DJ. A body found bludgeoned in a place known for "Peace through Mutual Understanding." But there she was, crumpled behind a bust of composer Franz Liszt in the Hungarian Cultural Garden. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. "What is the nature of your emergency?" the dispatcher queried. With a suddenly very dry mouth DJ managed to get out, "There's been a murder in the Cultural Gardens."
That's the beginning of the recently published first novel by Dan Hanson.
The whodunit, titled Murder in the Cultural Gardens, takes place in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens and all 30+ gardens are featured during the mystery. You may even recognize some of the characters.
Click the link above to learn more or to purchase in paperback or Kindle version from Amazon. Or contact Dan via the Murder in the Cultural Gardens webpage to have a signed book delivered.
Cleveland is a diverse city with about 120 distinct ethnic heritages represented. We at ClevelandPeople.com and the Cleveland International Hall of Fame believe that this ethnic diversity makes us a much richer city and that we should all celebrate this fact.
We asked people from various ethnic groups to create a tile representing their heritage. These 3 quilts are a product of that effort. We hope that other ethnic groups will want to add their own tile to these patchworks showcasing our ethnic diversity.
This DVD is a Living Rosary in the sense that over 200 people participated in saying a prayer. 3 bishops, numerous priests and sisters and a variety of lay people all said a prayer (Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary or Glory Be) that when put together combine to form the complete Rosary.
We hope that you will pray along with the diverse group of people on this DVD. They are young and old, different races and ethnicities, in Church and outside, alone and in groups. The prayers are said in English, but occasionally there is a prayer in another language. You may not know the language but will understand, and be able to pray along, because of the context.
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Do you need a Hungarian Flag? A shirt that says "I love Slovenian girls"? How about a sign that says No Parking except for Irish Grandmother?
These and hundreds of other items for your particular ethnic group are available for browsing at our on-line store. It's safe, fast, easy and fun. And there is a wide selection you will never find in the stores!
