Why I wrote this

I’ve always known that the Black church was more than a religious institution. But the stories I recently wrote about efforts to preserve the historic structures of Black congregations in Cleveland offered a dimension of Black churches I had never considered.

The Black church took the lead in the Civil Rights Movement. Many Black churches in Cleveland were involved, including hosting the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he visited the city. I know that the Black church has consistently been among the first institutions rushing to pick up the slack created by a social safety net that continues to unravel.

The Black church is also among the keepers of Cleveland history. This history is in their stories and in the brick or stone of the buildings that have stood for more than a century. The upkeep of historic buildings can be costly. Some of these congregations have raised up to $300,000, but it still isn’t enough.

Finding funding to preserve these churches is tough. You can read about all the reasons for that in my stories. Lots of news organizations write about problems. I go beyond that. I also highlight a possible solution, or at least the start of one. I hope you’ll appreciate reading about all these churches, which are in many ways the keepers of our history, and the efforts to keep them as part of Cleveland’s future.

– Oliver Perkins, Economics Reporter