Black History Month Flag Raising Ceremony Cleveland City Hall February 3, 2024
For 54 years the City of Cleveland has celebrated Black History Month with a Flag Raising Celebration which was started by former Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes.
The event began with remarks by Angela Shute-Woodson, City of Cleveland Community Relations and Community Relations Director. Master of Ceremonies Khalid Samad and others gave opening remarks, prayers and thanks.
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A highlight of the event was the marching out to the City Hall steps to see the African Flag raised above Cleveland City Hall.
Once back in the Rotunda, there were speeches and music. For example, members of the Hue People led the singing of the African Anthem 'Lift Every Voice and Sing'.
One of the speakers was Charles R. See who spent decades at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, mostly running the organization's Community Re-Entry program. These are his remarks from the event.
A highlight of the day was the honoring of El Hajj Amir Khalid A. Samad .
Khalid A. Samad
Khalid is an internationally known and recognized Community Activist and leader who formerly served as the Assistant to the Public Safety Director for the City of Cleveland for youth gang intervention (Jane Campbell administration). He has also served as a Gang Prevention and Investigative Specialist for the Cleveland Board of Education Gang Task Force. In addition, he is Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Coalition for A Better Life, dba Peace in the Hood, Inc., an organization dedicated to Peace, Justice and Empowerment and also serves as a spokesperson for the International (Formerly National) Council for Urban (Formations) Peace, Justice and Empowerment. These are just a few of his many accomplishments for which he was recognized, with his family in attendance.
Watch the video.
Angela Shute-Woodson and Khalid A. Samad
Khalid joined in with the drummers after being honored.
AdeOlomo Dansi performed a libation ceremony to honor the ancestors.
There were community groups and resources around the Rotunda such as the Tuskegee Airmen - North Coast Cleveland Chapter. Watch this video of Terricha Phillips speaking about the Tuskegee Airmen and the efforts to honor them in Cleveland.
Among the speeches, the Hue People sang Bob Marley's Redemption Song.
A young girl led the closing prayer.
Before lunch was served, the Akoma Sheroes Senior Drummers performed to end the program.
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