Code,800012
Subject,"Cordell Edge, African American Cultural Garden"
Date,
Interviewer,
Abstract,"Cordell Edge, a delegate of the African American Garden, discusses her involvement with the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.  Ms. Edge describes how she got her start in the African American Cultural Garden, what her role is within the Cultural Garden Federation, and how the garden was created.  Other topics include her memories of the gardens and how the neighborhood surrounding the gardens has changed over time."
Special Notes,
minutes:,
0,"Born in Cleveland, graduated Glenville high June 1949, pictures from 1949 graduation"
1,"Involved with Cultural Gardens  since 2000, started in 1998 by children going to gardens"
2,"Found man working in Italian Garden, wanted to work in African American garden, finally started going to Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation meetings under Dr. Parrish"
3,Was told had to send resume to get involved but Dr. Parrish just invited her to get involved
4,"Started out as a ""friend"" in the Federation, concerns expressed to council member about African American Gardens, why didn't have one?"
5,"Council membver suggested she become a representative for the African American Garden, started really becoming more interested and questioned people about ""location of the garden"""
6,"Wrote a letter to apologize for questiong so much about where the garden is, there were no markers, flagpoles"
7,"Booker Tall promoted organization at time, a grassroots group that originally pushed, Clarence Fitch, to get garden in place"
8,"Booker Tall invited community to be part of a garden group, he left though and she didn't know how to get involved, there is no planting hthere except for what was put there this past spring"
9,"One member gives program there every year, Africna American Cultural Garden Community Support Group meets every other Wednesday at MLK library, now can't miss what is planted there"
10,"Do not have a landscaped plan because mission and vision not accomplished, have small bank account, ""growing together"" is out motto"
11,"Has to be centered around education process, service all of whats there, John Green and abolitionists, African American Cultural Gardens wants to have memorial to John P. Green"
12,"John P. Green, founder of Labor Day, Garrett Morgan also to have memorial, have plans for Jesse Owens, want similar structure to other gardens"
13,"Kids and adults could drive by and see beauty, intend to continue with original mission and vision, important factor of garden is it is ""within the chain,"" want to stay right where they are next to Romanian garden"
14,"Creates sense of unity, group stands for ""togetherness,"" center of attraction, give area a ""bit of color,"" don't want to move, graduated from Glenville, native Clevelander"
15,"9222 Kenton (?) in 1946, Aunt lived there, wanted to live here, when did had 5 children, has no intentions of going anywhere else, love it, ""blessed"""
16,"Story of neighbor saying every 5 years new group moves in, not as many break ins today, had lot of neighborhood businesses in past"
17,"Don't have those businesses today, schools not as great as they were, general inner city problems, could easily go but staying, sees house as her castle"
18,"Not as much ""togetherness"" as it used to be, used to be able to leave doors open, not as much concern for next door neighbor, used to have more home ownership but now is like a disgrace"
19,"Neighbor whose parents died and she wouldn't move into area, not about where you live but who you are and intentions"
20,"Children were young, son 9 or 8, often they would go to the gardens, they knew the gardens better than here"
21,"2-3 times a week they would go to the gardens, would take detour through gardens on way to school because enjoyed it, still say ""I know the gardens"" today"
22,"Glenville residents have been in the gardens, moved there in 1959/1960, not necessarily involved"
23,"Originally thought gardens were part of the city, had no idea there part of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation, just thought they were part of the Metroparks, working hard to be inclusive now"
24,"Would like them to work faster, wants to finally put sign by gardens with flag poles, doesn't feel as inclusive at this point"
25,"Doesn't feel comfortable yet, administration of Federation is working hard to be inclusive ""of all of us,"" have no funds, group started at grassroots continuing mission and vision of past group"
26,"Flowers planted are from community donations, asking members to give $10 for seed money for African American Gardens, finding out costs of John Green, Jesse Owens and other statues, Robert Madison's design, ""not where we used to be but we're going to get where we want to be"""
27,"Going to start having a togetherness, very important, working to put in Madison's design"
28,Remembers kids came home one day with plants they pulled up from gardens
29,"Ivy grows all over her backyard now because they grought it from the gardens, only let them go back to the gardens if they didn't touch anything"
30,See the Ivy every time she goes into backyard now
31,"Kids always knew there wasn't an African American Garden, most people in community knew this, daughter saw when someone moved the sign for the African American garden"
32,"Petitions with permission of Federation, got petitions together as way of talking to people"
33,"Many in neighborhood know about the gardens, many signed petition"
34,Seems to be some serious problems
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