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Acquiring the African American Cultural Garden was a struggle for equitable access to public space in Cleveland during the Civil Rights era. Between 1961 and 1977, Black Clevelanders sought space to celebrate Black pride and culture within Cleveland’s Cultural Gardens. Activists lobbied the Cultural Garden Federation, City Council, and engaged the Black community to acquire a garden space. When the African American Cultural Garden was dedicated on October 23, 1977, dignitaries from Ghana, Togo, Kenya, and Tanzania, were joined by national, state, and city officials to celebrate the first garden space assigned to a community of color.
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Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, one of the largest African American churches in Cleveland, was founded in February 1931. In 1950, the congregation constructed a new building on Quincy Avenue. The Olivet Institutional Baptist Church ministerial leadership and its congregants were ardent supporters of the civil rights movement. Combining social and political action with the ministry, Olivet supported sit-ins to integrate lunch counters and public facilities in the South and participated in social activism in Cleveland. During the pastorate (1952-1973) of Reverend Odie M. Hoover (1921-1973), Olivet became a key voice in the civil rights movement. In 1964, Rev. Hoover accompanied Dr. King to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The O.M. Hoover Christian Community Center, dedicated by Dr. King in 1966, symbolized Olivet’s commitment to community building and civil rights. (Continued on other side)