Abstract

In this 2025 interview, Bishop Darnell Jennings discusses his upbringing and community environment that shaped his early life. He discusses his family and describes his calling to ministry beginning in childhood, and the mentors who guided his development as a pastor. Jennings explains his dual career in behavioral health and faith leadership. He reflects on the challenges and rewards of pastoring in East Cleveland, including housing decline, community need, and the collaborative work of local clergy.

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Interviewee

Jennings, Darnell (interviewee)

Interviewer

Mays, Nicholas S. (interviewer)

Project

East Cleveland

Date

9-23-2025

Document Type

Oral History

Duration

69 minutes

Transcript

Nick Mays [00:00:00] My name is Dr. Nicholas Mays and today is September 23rd, 2025. We are at Lakeside Bible Church in East Cleveland, Ohio. We are conducting an official oral history interview for the East Cleveland Oral History Project. I am honored to be joined by Bishop Jennings, pastor, community leader whose ministry and service has been rooted in the cities for years. [00:00:30] His story weaves together faith, family and community engagement. And today we’ll capture that for the historical record. [00:00:41] Mr. Bishop, thank you for being here. Can you start by giving us your full name and title, your age and date of birth?

Darnell Jennings [00:00:50] Absolutely. Bishop Darnell Jennings, senior pastor here at Lakeside Bible Church in East Cleveland, Ohio. Date of birth, […] 1982.

Nick Mays [00:01:02] Bishop, can you introduce us to your family?

Darnell Jennings [00:01:05] Sure. So my family is the Jennings family, of course. I’m the proud husband of my wife Andrea, and also proud dad of six. I have three boys, three girls. Oldest is 20 years old. Grandmother and grandparents actually grew up in this community or was in this community. I grew up here as well. [00:01:31] And so, you know, we’re just been long standing residents in East Cleveland for some time now.

Nick Mays [00:01:40] Thank you. Bishop Jennings. First, I want to begin just talking about your profession and your faith leadership. Can you first discuss your educational background, including college and trainings or other certificate programs?

Darnell Jennings [00:02:02] Yeah, absolutely. So graduated Cleveland Heights High School, went to college, did two years at Remington College where I got my Associates, and then continued my education. [00:02:14] At DeVry University and business Information Systems and then later it evolved into business technical management. My faith background education, I’ve studied. I’ve been pastoring now for 12 years, but also studied under leaders, great leaders in the city, and then also continue my education through different biblical. Different biblical, excuse me, educational institutions as well, including Berean Bible College and some other ones as well.

Nick Mays [00:02:49] Thank you for that, Bishop. Can you talk about your current professional work outside of ministry and how did you get into this work?

Darnell Jennings [00:02:57] Yeah, absolutely. So I currently am working as a behavioral health specialist and a case manager. And so that consists of me seeing clients with behavioral health diagnoses, anywhere from PTSD to anxiety. And so I’ve been doing that now for about four years. So I have a great opportunity to work with both adults and children as well. [00:03:22] My primary caseload consists of children, and I enjoy it because children are typically a little bit more impressionable and used to have opportunity to change their trajectory. And the reward in seeing children evolve through being engaged with them for me is very, very rewarding. I enjoy seeing that. But I do also see adults as well. [00:03:44] And I’m also. What’s called a chemical dependency counselor as well. So I see clients that may be dealing with chemical dependencies. And so we do counseling and provide counseling services for them to help them to navigate that dynamic as well.

Nick Mays [00:04:01] Without stating the names of the school, what districts do you work with?

Darnell Jennings [00:04:09] I’m in the Cleveland area, primarily in the Cleveland area, but I also have some clients that are in some of the local suburbs as well. I do have some clients in the East Cleveland area, Cleveland Heights area. Of course, I enjoy being able to see clients in East Cleveland because, you know, this is an area we grew up in.

Nick Mays [00:04:30] How long have you been in ministry and what brought you to this congregation specifically? Lakeside Bible Church?

Darnell Jennings [00:04:39] Yeah, so I’ve been in ministry for 25 years now, and specifically I’ve been pastoring for 12. Oddly and strangely enough, since my grandmother have lived in East Cleveland for over 30 years. After I had started pastoring, I had an opportunity to come over and was introduced to the congregation to speak at Lakeside Bible Church by one of the mothers at the church in the person of Mother Hopper. [00:05:07] She and my grandmother are best friends. And so one strangely one week, she just randomly reached out to me and, well, I won’t say strangely, but by divine assignment, she reached out to me and asked me to come and speak at the church during Mother’s Day. And I said, well, you want me as a father to come speak at the church on Mother’s Day? [00:05:31] She said, yes, yes, I believe you’re going to do great. So I took the opportunity that turned into back to back years, speaking on Mother’s Day at the congregation. And of course, my grandmother was super happy. And from there I got real close with the pastor at the time who was pastoring. And this all began to happen a little before COVID and found out later that the pastor had caught ill and wasn’t doing well. [00:05:58] And he later ended up passing and by me getting acquainted with a lot of the members in the church, I was considered to become one of the potential candidates that could become the successor of the church. And I became one of seven candidates. And then that ended up turning into, you know, some months of interviewing and coming and speaking and having an opportunity to work with the congregation. [00:06:22] And they selected me as the one out of the seven candidates to become the pastor here and a successor of Pastor Stevenson.

Nick Mays [00:06:28] Well, congratulations.

Darnell Jennings [00:06:30] Thank you.

Nick Mays [00:06:33] Moving on. When did you first feel called to serve the Lord, and how did that journey unfold for you?

Darnell Jennings [00:06:42] Yeah, so that’s a great question. So I first knew I was called to ministry and felt the Call of ministry. When I was a kid, actually somewhere, probably about 11, 12 years old, my grandmother, she took me to church. And when she took me to church at the time in the area we were then in, the pastor randomly called me in the middle of service up, and he began to share with me what was on his heart that he saw a call in my life. [00:07:11] And of course, at that time, being so young, it was exciting, but I didn’t really know what all that entailed. And so from there, after attending that church with my grandmother at that time, I later continued to kind of lean in to find out, like, hey, let’s see what this really is about. [00:07:30] But I’m so young, I didn’t really know. But I ended up having a dream that confirmed the things that the pastor has shared with me at that time. And after that pastor ended up passing away, I ended up changing congregations. And at that second church I end up attending, the same prophecy, if you will, was spoken to me from a whole separate person. [00:07:55] And that really caught my attention. And so I began to, you know, really take it serious and started to, like, lean in and really began to try to figure out, like, okay, so what does this mean? You know, how would that apply to me? And I really, really leaned in when I. When I was about 19 years old, and that’s when I committed myself to the ministry, committed myself to the Lord. [00:08:20] And the sky’s been the limit ever since. I mean, at that point, I’ve just really began to really, really dig into my ministry and my call in my life.

Nick Mays [00:08:29] What does that process call for? When one says, I want to be a minister, I want to be a pastor? What’s the process? Is there a school you have to go to? Is there classes you have to take? What’s that? Walk me through that process.

Darnell Jennings [00:08:44] Yeah, so that’s a great question. So first you should know that you actually called from God. So that that requires having a personal opportunity to pray and hear from the Lord that you really called. Because some people call themselves and the Lord hasn’t called them to ministry as far as preaching. So I believe you know, and would say, first you should. [00:09:04] You should hear the call from God yourself. The process then looks like, obviously, you know, there should be some education. You have to. Nothing in, nothing out. So you can’t. You can’t preach something that you don’t have in you. So it requires personal study, it requires personal prayer, dedicating yourself to become a disciple or follow, which means a follower of Christ. [00:09:27] And then I believe education is super, super important because I believe, you know, studying, which also is interwoven into education, is a homiletical act. So the confidence that’s born of study releases the powers of communication. It gives you the ability to communicate better. So you should continue your education with some schooling. Now, that doesn’t always mean that an individual has to go and get a doctorate degree or even a master’s degree. [00:09:58] You should just stay a student, a constant student. And so they have programs and certificate programs as well, through different Bible institutions that you can continue your education from there. And then, of course, just staying a student, regardless, having a personal study life, because it should become a lifestyle, shouldn’t just be something that you occasionally do, but it actually should be a part of life or a way of life and a lifestyle that you live out.

Nick Mays [00:10:26] Thank you for that, Bishop Who were the staying on this topic. Were there early mentors or pivotal moments that confirmed your calling?

Darnell Jennings [00:10:49] Absolutely. Another great question. So again, my very first pastor who passed away first, he was pivotal because he’s the one that actually, I believe God used to to expose me to the fact that there was a calling on my life before I even knew what a calling on my life was for real. [00:11:08] But then from there, there was also another individual who was actually the mom of my really good childhood friend. She really also stayed on top of me as a teenager when I was curious and, you know, exploring and just out, you know, misbehaving the typical juvenile behavior that we’ve all had at some point or another. [00:11:31] She was one voice of reason during time to continue to speak life into me and let me know that, you know, you’re better than this and you have a call, so you can’t afford to waste time. But the person who really, really, really was pivotal and also actually was very, very instrumental in me actually moving forward in ministry was, I say, the early pastor, Donnell L. [00:11:56] Lifford, who was the senior pastor at the church that I came out of before I started pastoring. And at that time of my life, as an early adult at the age of 19, I had really, really found myself going through what I would say is a defining moment. And he was a great example as a spiritual father, a mentor, but also he was a great example as a natural father as well. [00:12:23] So he really was huge with helping to mentor me, to begin to help groom me in ministry, teaching me what ministry really was all about. And so I served up under him for about three years before he ended up passing away from a rare disease. And then from there, I Got my grounding in ministry and that helped to catapult me forward in my ministry to move forward. [00:12:48] But he was definitely huge.

Nick Mays [00:12:50] Is there a commission or organization that confirms pastors and bishops that creates the process that makes it an official? Yeah, I don’t know how to articulate it.

Darnell Jennings [00:13:06] That affirms you in that call or that office that you may operate in? Absolutely. So there’s different organizations, Christian based organizations that have leadership within those organizations that serve in multiple ways, but primarily to your question, yes, there’s those who are in positions of authority that would affirm individuals in their calling. [00:13:33] So yes, sir, I see.

Nick Mays [00:13:34] Thank you. I’m interested in being a longtime resident, born and raised in East Cleveland. Did you aspire to be a minister or to be a pastor in East Cleveland?

Darnell Jennings [00:13:55] No, I actually didn’t. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t. Not fully. I did want to contribute back in some way within the community, but I felt as early on, I felt that we had good leadership representation at the time in East Cleveland. So when I first started pastoring, I was just so focused on answering the call that I was willing though, to go wherever the Lord would have for me to go. [00:14:23] But East Cleveland wasn’t at the top of my list, honestly, because it already had good leadership when I first started pastoring. But as time began to progress in ministry and I began to see that East Cleveland was going through a transition, I had a strong passion to be able to come back and contribute within the city. [00:14:43] So the timing of me being considered to become a successor of the church in East Cleveland was perfect. Because at that time, community outreach, community investment, redevelopment, all of the things that East Cleveland is going through now and the needs that East Cleveland have were passions of mine. So it’s been a joy being able to pastor and serve in the community.

Nick Mays [00:15:07] Take us to the day you got the call. You’re the chosen one. You were one chosen out of all the seven candidates, right?

Darnell Jennings [00:15:15] Yes.

Nick Mays [00:15:16] Take us, take us back to that day. How did it feel?

Darnell Jennings [00:15:21] So I had an abundance of emotions, if I’m being honest. I was excited, I had nervous energy, I had joy, I had healthy concern because [00:15:37] I hadn’t had an opportunity to really dig into the history of where the church was at that point. But then at the same time, I had a peace come over me because it came at the heels, on heels rather of COVID When I went, when I actually got selected, people were beginning to go back out in the community and engage and interact. [00:16:01] So I had that wave of emotions as well. But then I also had concern, and I said healthy concern, because I also was wondering, well, what is church going to look like now? Because again, it was coming on the end of COVID so people hadn’t really gathered together in settings as a congregation, as traditionally we all have been accustomed to doing so. [00:16:27] So a lot of churches were online, but however, Lakeside still gathered throughout Covid. They only shut down one Sunday, and that was because of weather. So during that time, I just was just wondering, I have a congregation. I don’t know who’s still members because people have been at home. And so that was just. [00:16:50] That was. All those thoughts were going through my mind. Nonetheless, I had peace because I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was being planted where God wanted me to be and where I also desired to be. So after going through all of those emotions, I finally had found some peace and solace in knowing that it’s time to continue to go to work. [00:17:11] And now you have an opportunity to give back. In your community, where you grew up at.

Nick Mays [00:17:15] What has been the most. Since taking office, what has been the most challenging about pastoring in East Cleveland today?

Darnell Jennings [00:17:26] The most challenging is that you can’t do everything in one day. And so that’s a challenge for me because I see the potential that the city has to. [00:17:41] I’ll use the term, continue to thrive. I also know that there’s a lot of transition that’s going through this city at this time as well. And then, of course, you see people. At the end of the day, we do all that we do for the people. We serve the people. And so in serving God, we serve the people. [00:18:05] And so that’s been a challenge that I can’t do everything in one day because I see the needs of the people, I see the needs of the community, and I only can do but so much at one time. And so just having that patience to work at where the priorities are, see those come to fruition, and then move to the next task. [00:18:25] That’s been the biggest challenge for me.

Nick Mays [00:18:28] What were some of the challenges in a general way?

Darnell Jennings [00:18:33] Yeah, so. Well, one. [00:18:36] We have different challenges in the community, but one of the main challenges has been there’s been housing issues within the city and the community. A lot of people over the last 10 years have either passed on or maybe perhaps lost homes in the city. And so those homes set and those homes began to deteriorate during that time. [00:19:01] They weren’t kept up. So with that being said, we know that those were voids within the community which brought in unnecessary attention at the time as well. And so we’ve been been wanting to make sure that we bring about a sense of security for the residents in the city. So not just physical security, but home security. [00:19:23] And then in addition to that, what also has happened consequently is, you know, there’s businesses that have since left the community as well because of the transition of the city. So those are just some of the challenges that we’ve had to deal with. Because again, if you have parishioners that are actually residents in this city, you know, they’re not just worried about their spiritual well being, they’re also worried and concerned about their natural security as well and stability. [00:19:56] What has been rewarding. [00:19:59] Actually seeing success, seeing success manifest, seeing people lives change, seeing the joy come back to people, seeing the city taking great strides in the right direction, seeing willing partners with the work as well, coming aboard, seeing other pastors that’s been planted in the city longer than myself, even working together to band together as a community. [00:20:28] The way that a community’s supposed to be. A community is supposed to consist of people working together and looking out for the welfare and well being of one another. And I actually have seen that. And we’re supportive of not just one another as pastors, but we also support each other’s congregations, which consists of the people that’s in the congregation as well. [00:20:47] And that’s been a breath of fresh air because you don’t want to feel like you’re the only one that’s pulling in a good direction.

Nick Mays [00:20:57] In talking about the changes and development and things that are happening now in the community. What’s the role of the church in that? Sitting in your office, what’s your role?

Darnell Jennings [00:21:17] Well, my role is to work, of course, with the residents of East Cleveland as moral support, identifying what are the concerns of the people sometimes. And I’ve come to realize, especially since pastoring now, the community come to the church first. A lot of times they come to the church. The church is almost like become the parents, you know, if you will. [00:21:46] When we were younger, all of us who have had the fortune of having parents growing up in a home where you have both or definitely one stable parent in a home. [00:21:57] If the school didn’t go well, you went to your parent. You know, if your stomach hurt, you go to your parent. You know, if you haven’t challenged with homework, you go to the parent. So the parent become the answer all. And so the church pretty much serves as the same way as a pillar in the community. [00:22:16] So the work with the residents because the residents come Right to the church to express their political concerns, their community concerns, their personal concerns, and so being an outlet, being a sounding board for the residents, and then also working with our elected officials to be that lifeline to them, too, as well. Because sometimes our elected officials are trying to affect change in the community, but everything isn’t on them. [00:22:50] Sometimes. Sometimes the people they have to answer to have them at a standstill. So being able to serve as a liaison between those elected officials and our residents is also our roles, and then also making sure that at the same time that we. We help to keep the peace and serve as mediators between the residents, our elected officials, and also within the community as well.

Nick Mays [00:23:16] How have you been able to evolve or stabilize the church since you’ve been here.

Darnell Jennings [00:23:20] Lakeside specifically? I’ve been able to. And with the help of leadership that has supported me tremendously as well, we’ve been able to overcome the COVID deficit, you know, that everybody experienced. We’ve been able to steady the ship during this time. We’ve also been able to help to make sure that your church continues to thrive. [00:23:49] And what I’m saying is that coming out of COVID church is not the same as it used to be. The way of doing church, I’ll say it’s not the same way. So I often say that the message remains the same, but the methods sometimes has to change. And so we’ve been able to bring the church to a place to where one, we help them to heal. [00:24:14] Because quite naturally, when you have a leader that you’ve been used to working with so many years, if they pass on, there’s a grieving stage that the church had to go through as well. So we wanted to make sure that we grieved appropriately, gave the members an opportunity to heal, and then at the same time say, hey, guys, we got to keep going. [00:24:35] So we’ve been able to bring the church to a good place during that time, and that’s just a few of many things that we’ve been blessed to do.

Nick Mays [00:24:44] Thank you, Bishop. Just pivoting on to the next topic. Can you share your. I want to talk about your family roots and upbringing in East Cleveland.

Darnell Jennings [00:24:56] Sure.

Nick Mays [00:24:57] Let’s begin with maybe sharing your family’s journey to East Cleveland, especially your parents and grandparents.

Darnell Jennings [00:25:07] Yeah. So my grandparents who initially lived in the Buckeye area of Cleveland, after my great grandmother passed away in 93, my grandmother, then her and my grandfather both began to consider moving out of the community in the house that we lived in at that time, obviously, because one, there was sentimental value there. But there was also a lot of memories, years of memories that they felt like it was best to continue to move forward from there and not remain in that space. [00:25:43] Which then led us to the East Cleveland area. So my grandparents then found a home that they currently stay in now in this area in East Cleveland off of Euclid Avenue. And so we moved to this community. At that time, my parents had decided that they were also going to begin to relocate from where they were as well. [00:26:08] And ironically enough, they end up finding a home that we began to rent and stay in the East Cleveland area as well. So both my grandparents and my parents decided to plant in East Cleveland. And so that’s how we ended up in East Cleveland. And I began to attend the high school in East Cleveland, because by that time I was in high school. [00:26:32] And so. And then we began to matriculate from there.

Nick Mays [00:26:36] We’ll get to that. But real quick, where is your ancestors from? The South?

Darnell Jennings [00:26:45] Yeah, from Tennessee. So they initially came to the Cleveland area from Tennessee. The majority of them was from Tennessee. And then we also had some family that was in Gary, Indiana as well. But my great great grandmother and grandmother, they all were from the Tennessee area.

Nick Mays [00:27:09] What did your parents or grandparents do for a living?

Darnell Jennings [00:27:13] Yeah, so my grandparents. My grandmother, she worked at University Hospitals. She worked and lived there and worked there rather. Excuse me, for many years. That’s where she actually retired from University Hospitals. And my great grandmother had retired when she came up from Tennessee. Before she came from Tennessee, she actually was picking cotton down there. [00:27:39] And once she moved up here, my grandfather began to continue to work. He was in the military. And then once he retired from the military, he took care of her. So my great grandmother didn’t actually work once she got to Cleveland, but my grandmother did. She worked at University Hospital before we.

Nick Mays [00:28:01] I want to. I want to talk a little bit about growing up in East Cleveland. And I know you. Your parents moved in East Cleveland when you were in. In high school already, but your grandmother had already lived in East Cleveland.

Darnell Jennings [00:28:13] Yes.

Nick Mays [00:28:14] Can you talk about whether it’s just the weekends or summer vacation or, you know, summer. In the summer. Can you talk about, you know, coming up or being in East Cleveland during those early years?

Darnell Jennings [00:28:26] Yeah, absolutely. So we were over quite a bit because my grandmother, my grandfather, he later passed after we moved or after they moved to East Cleveland. So my grandmother was then at home by herself. And my aunt actually decided to. Cause her home is pretty big. It’s a big house to be in by yourself. [00:28:47] So my Aunt decided to move in and my aunt has two kids. So my cousins, both male and female, they lived with my aunt obviously and my grandmother. So that cousin, the male cousin and I are real close. So consequently I would be over quite a bit, especially during the summer and coming up in East Cleveland at that time, being in elementary, middle school was fun. [00:29:16] East Cleveland had definitely a good school district at the time. And then it also had a lot to offer in the community. And that was very, very fun and rewarding to see. Actually being able to come to the community and seeing black owned businesses was great. And then also just being able to see families, you know, as a whole and stable, happy, enjoying themselves was very rewarding. [00:29:46] So we would hang out in the community, we would go to the store as typical kids, get candy and snacks and go to the parks and be able to just have fun, you know, things that kids supposed to be able to do in a safe environment. And that’s some of my fondest memories I have as a younger kid at the time. [00:30:05] Coming up in East Cleveland.

Nick Mays [00:30:07] In general, how would you describe yourself or how would someone describe yourself, describe you during your childhood years, elementary school or junior High, before high school. [00:30:24] As quite, but yet Energetic. You know, I was quiet. I spent time, a lot of time by myself when I would be in the house during those years. And surprisingly enough, I actually used to spend a lot of time in my room when I was in a house playing with my toys alone. But then probably by the time I got to like the sixth grade, I would say I was definitely more energetic and outgoing when I did go out. [00:30:49] I enjoyed interacting with friends, I enjoyed playing sports. So they’ll definitely tell you he was playing football, he was playing basketball, didn’t do too much baseball, and obviously I never did any soccer. But I was definitely energetic but quiet at times as well. I was probably a blended version of, of an introvert and extrovert.

Nick Mays [00:31:13] Okay, so, so now you’re in high school, you’re. This is when your, your parents officially move to East Cleveland. So now you are an official East Cleveland resident. Not that you weren’t before because sure, your family and grandparents were here and you were often here. So what is high school years like? What do you do for leisure, fun? What’s. What are you like in school?

Darnell Jennings [00:31:38] Yeah, so East Cleveland at that time again was still a thriving community. So by the time we got in and I got to the high school, I still was energetic, fun, outgoing more by high school, I definitely was more outgoing by then. My favorite things at the time to do in East Cleveland and as a whole was to go to the parks. [00:32:05] There was always things to do at the parks. If we wasn’t playing basketball, we were playing with one another, wrestling. You know, at the time, everyone thought that they were, you know, one of their superheroes from wrestling, you know, at that time. So we would wrestle, but we did a lot of sports. [00:32:24] We were outdoors a lot, playing sports, hangout, departure, you know, go over a friend’s house, play video games. Of course, that was huge during high school years as well. But it was fun. It was just really, really, really fun. And East Cleveland always has something going on within the community, the teenagers or even in the elementary that kids can do and being able to go around and get everything you need within your city. [00:32:54] Even though East Cleveland is small in comparison to other cities, East Cleveland had everything that you needed from sports, recreation centers, grocery stores, clothing stores. I mean, it was almost a one stop shop in East Cleveland. So as a kid coming up, it was the perfect place to be, you know, because you can always get what you need right within your community and not have to go far for anything.

Nick Mays [00:33:18] Can you, can you contrast. Oh, first, what year did you graduate high school?

Darnell Jennings [00:33:23] 2000.

Nick Mays [00:33:23] Okay, so you graduated in 2000. So you were first a freshman, I don’t know, 96 or something.

Darnell Jennings [00:33:31] 96, yes, sir. Freshman.

Nick Mays [00:33:33] Can you contrast East Cleveland today from your high school years in terms of infrastructure, homes or businesses or lack thereof? Can you recall that?

Darnell Jennings [00:33:49] Yeah. So, you know, in 96, you know, as opposed to 2025, some of the biggest differences that, you know, we have now is that there’s not as many businesses in the city. The main businesses now are more like gas stations, you know, a few, a few convenience stores. But as a whole, there’s not as many residents currently as it was in 96. [00:34:25] That’s in the city of East Cleveland as well. And I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that there’s new development that’s going on because again, people have either retired and since moved out to Florida somewhere or, you know, somewhere else just as a whole. But you know, a lot of the people that when I was younger growing up there were homeowners have since moved on. [00:34:49] And if they haven’t passed, they definitely moved out of this city. They probably sold their homes and just moved out of the city. The educational, the schools, there’s more schools, you know, I personally believe now than it was then. You had two main schools at that time, elementary wise, and now there’s a couple other school options. [00:35:14] Even some charter schools have since moved into the East Cleveland area. But there was just more community. It was more close knit in the 90s, the late 90s and the early 2000s. Now. [00:35:33] It’S more up and coming now. I believe a lot of the generation that was that I grew up with moved on outside of East Cleveland as well once completing high school. And the exciting thing now is to see people that I grew up with and even perhaps people before my time or even after my time, deciding to come back to the city now and to help rebuild the city or help to repair some of the breaches within the city as well.

Nick Mays [00:36:03] Thank you. Staying along the same topic. Do you remember your first job in high school? Did you have a job in high school?

Darnell Jennings [00:36:11] I did actually, yeah. I worked at a restaurant. I washed dishes and I also, I later became. Began to bus tables, as they would say. It was at a, at an Italia restaurant called Geraci’s. And that was my first job. And it was great because as a high school kid, coming home with tips, not just waiting to get a check every two weeks, made me feel real good about myself being able to buy things throughout the week for myself, including clothing and things like that, because I did well with tips once I started busting tables. [00:36:48] But yeah, it was fun. I actually missed that job once I left.

Nick Mays [00:36:55] Talk about your experience with these businesses: Peter Pan Donuts, Angela Mia’s.

Darnell Jennings [00:37:07] Yes, yes.

Nick Mays [00:37:09] What are those businesses and what’s your experience?

Darnell Jennings [00:37:12] Yeah, so Peter Pan’s is a donut shop. That was another hangout spot that I failed to mention that we would spend a lot of time at in high school. So kids would, you know, we would be at high school and even sometimes, being honest, we would sometimes cut out during lunch and run over because it was so close to the high school. [00:37:31] And either get some donuts or we would go right across the street to Angela Mia’s and get some pizza and a slice of pizza. Because we didn’t necessarily always like the cafeteria food. But as hangout spots, they both were hangout spots as well for many teenagers at that time. I mean, there’s still people that goes to Angela Mia to this day as well. [00:37:53] But definitely back in high school years. Oh man. Those were two hangout spots that people spent a lot of time at. And surprisingly enough, it wasn’t just high school kids that was there. It was also people that would go there for lunch breaks that were adults that were working and stuff too as well. [00:38:08] So those are Those are two. [00:38:12] Pivotal. Excuse me, businesses within East Cleveland that’s been around for many years.

Nick Mays [00:38:17] Does Peter Pan Donuts and Angelou Mia still exist today?

Darnell Jennings [00:38:21] That’s devastating. Because, I mean, listen, police officers will be. You know, they love donuts, but officers would be in there. There would be business owners that was in the city would go there and get donuts. So, wow, that’s. And it was a hangout spot. You know, people used to like to go in there and would, you know, have coffee along with their donuts and just spend inordinate amount of time in there because it was a good scenic, you know, place to go and stuff. [00:38:49] So that’s interesting, though, to know that it’s not there. That’s. But Angela Mia’s due. It’s still in existence and still holding to its business within the community.

Nick Mays [00:39:03] And then finally within this topic. And again, thank you. Bishop, how has growing up in East Cleveland shaped your identity or the man you are today?

Darnell Jennings [00:39:15] Yeah, that’s a great question. So growing up in East Cleveland, it’s been huge. Just being able to be in a community that, as I was raised and seeing a lot of the residents in this community being persistent, being steadfast, being those that have really demonstrated to me what it means to have stick to itness, there’s still residents that’s in this community to this day that although it’s been turbulent at times within the city, even during COVID a lot of people, you know, were having trouble financially and different things like that. [00:39:53] Just seeing their steadfastness, you know, has shaped my life tremendously. There’s business owners that were here before that as a kid growing up, seeing them, you know, planning within their community, where they lived, and seeing them stick with it, giving back to the community, all those things played a huge part in helping to shape me to demonstrate and have the same characteristics as well, especially that stick to itness. [00:40:22] I’ve seen families go through different seasons of life, but never gave up. Just continue to push through and plow through the different transitions in their lives. And it was inspiring coming up as a kid, seeing, you know, families raising children, maybe not having the most in their favor, but nonetheless, they pushed through, they raised their kids. [00:40:49] And a lot of times, many of these residents in East Cleveland that I seen come up, you would have never known what their situation was, because as kids, they never put their. What they were going through on the children. They made sure that they had happy homes. They made sure that all of their needs were met, and they made sure that their children remained Happy. [00:41:11] And that’s been an inspiration for me and has helped me to now embody those same characteristics as I’ve gotten older.

Nick Mays [00:41:18] Thank you, Bishop. And in that same area, I would like you to help me unpack one of the questions that I’m still grappling, grappling with. And it’s so inspiring. And that’s, you know, one of my motives and what brings me. One of my aims and the work that I’m doing is to capture the positive forces of folks in East Cleveland, whether it’s, you know, folks in your generation or the elders or even the younger folks, despite these socioeconomic issues. And You know, what some folks will call political crises and other crises and decline, you see passionate people with pride who are resolved to see East Cleveland, you know, you get. Get through this and get to that better place. Folks who, as you said, moved out but came back, or for those who stayed and had the means to leave, but remained here and are on the ground doing the work. [00:42:32] What is that? Is it in the water? What is that? You know, can you just, from your perspective, can you. Can you speak to that?

Darnell Jennings [00:42:42] Yeah, I call that pride, and I call it healthy pride, because not all pride, obviously, is healthy, but healthy pride. The people of East Cleveland has pride. They care about what they worked hard for. They care about what they’ve invested in. They care about family. They care about the next generation. And that’s how I would sum it up, that the people in East Cleveland have pride. [00:43:12] Those that were here even before my time, they had pride, and they passed that down to the next generation. And that’s something to be saluted honestly. And that’s something that I’m proud of about this community that I’ve also extracted from being a resident in East Cleveland and coming up as a child, that the people here have pride. [00:43:32] And that’s why we see, even though it may look like at times that it appears as if the people are clawing against one another, it’s because they have pride, because they care about their own. They care about their community. They care about the next generation. And so a lot of the people that’s coming back, they carried that same pride wherever they went, and now they’re coming back, and they want to bring it back to this community because they see that what East Cleveland was can be again and then some. [00:44:05] I believe that this next wave and next season for East Cleveland is going to be better than the past, because people who had pride has remained, and people who have pride left has come back to Partner with those that remain to see that East Cleveland is sustained with that same pride for futures to come.

Nick Mays [00:44:26] Yeah, thank you for that. And that’s, you know, for me, that’s the story. And that’s the one you wouldn’t know if you never stepped a foot in East Cleveland and if you only encountered a judge East Cleveland, from the political discourse or narratives or the press about East Cleveland. And I’ve been here almost three months now in East Cleveland, engaging folks like yourself and businesses and entrepreneurs and young people, engagement, teachers, et cetera, et cetera. [00:44:58] And it’s inspiring. I became really passionate about this project because of that story and what I call What I tell my colleagues or I tell the people I work with, that is the story that there’s positive forces, there’s pride that exists in East Cleveland and it’s historic. It’s not just didn’t start now. And I’m honored to be a part of providing that perspective. Another question that I need you to help me understand is the Shaw reunion. I mean, it’s an entity now. It’s a big event. It’s a, you know, it’s a community like a city wide thing. You have folks who come back every year who no longer live in East Cleveland, who come back just for the weekend. [00:46:00] What is the significance from your perspective? What is the significance and why has it become such an important or legacy event?

Darnell Jennings [00:46:08] Yeah, because again, it’s the pride. It’s something to be spoken of that East Cleveland residents have pride. The people of East Cleveland have pride. And so what it boils down to is in that pride interwoven into that pride is pride for family and pride for community. And so each generation, at least since I’ve been around, I’ve noticed that annually, that pride and that family dynamic, the people want to sustain it. [00:46:41] Sometimes, of course, people have left and moved on in their lives, moved to other cities and states and carried on that legacy with their family. But it’s nothing like going back to the origin of where it all began and coming back with your initial family and community coming up as a kid. And that’s what we see every year. [00:47:03] It’s just like a monumental moment all over again. It’s like people want to relive it over and over as much as possible because [00:47:13] that was their foundation. And it’s hard to get away from your foundation when you got a good one. That’s what we see every year at the Shaw reunion. We see that pride and that family dynamic.

Nick Mays [00:47:25] Do you attend or have you attended yourself. Or supported in ways

Darnell Jennings I’ve supported. I haven’t personally attended myself, but I have definitely supported those who have went.

Nick Mays [00:47:41] I went this summer.

Darnell Jennings [00:47:43] Did you?

Nick Mays [00:47:43] I had a great time. You know, I saw beautiful people. I saw blackness. I saw entrepreneurship. I saw love, fellowship. Intergenerational dynamic.

Darnell Jennings [00:48:04] Yeah.

Nick Mays [00:48:06] You know, folks who. The grandmother and, you know, her daughter and her kids, like, every. Like, three generations that went to Shaw.

Darnell Jennings [00:48:17] Yeah, yeah.

Nick Mays [00:48:18] You know, the little babies and the kids. Right.

Darnell Jennings [00:48:21] All.

Nick Mays [00:48:22] All there.

Darnell Jennings [00:48:22] Oh, yeah.

Nick Mays [00:48:23] Like wearing the Shaw shirts. Even those who didn’t graduate from Shaw.

Darnell Jennings [00:48:29] Well, yeah, you know, I didn’t graduate from Shaw. I actually ended up finishing up at Cleveland Heights.

Nick Mays [00:48:34] What. What years did you do at Shaw High School?

Darnell Jennings [00:48:37] It’s first two.

Nick Mays [00:48:38] Okay.

Darnell Jennings [00:48:38] Yeah.

Nick Mays [00:48:39] So freshman, sophomore year, and then the other two. Yeah, yeah. So I just. I just think that’s very fascinating. Lets See.These? You stole some of the questions. Good. Okay. I was gonna ask you about, you know, how have you seen the city change over time and infrastructure, homeownership. You all. You answered that decline. You talked about that. So let me ask you this, Bishop. What do you. Well, let me. We’ll pivot to revitalization efforts. Do you support the current revitalization and development efforts in East Cleveland? You know, for example, we have the Cuyahoga Land bank here already doing work, but just in general, do you support these external efforts and why?

Darnell Jennings [00:49:43] I do. I support it because I don’t believe that every new beginning, if you will, is an ending to a previous. [00:50:00] To a previous beginning, as some would like to a lot of time. And my point is that a lot of times people are fearful of change, and not all change is bad. And so, consequently, I believe that the revitalization that we see, the makeover, if you will, within different parts of East Cleveland, is overdue. [00:50:23] It’s needed. And unfortunately, there were some who either passed away or moved on. And during that time, with some of the transitions that the city experienced that were out of the control of the residents, you know, left a gap there that needed to be bridged. And I believe the revitalization that’s going on right now is rewarding. [00:50:48] It’s a breath of fresh air for many. It’s just some of the change that’s interwoven into it. It’s hard for some to embrace, because a lot of times, once we get used to something, you know, we hold onto it, and we feel like we’re going to lose the sentimental value that’s attached to certain things. [00:51:07] And, you know, those are memories that can be held onto. But Sometimes we need some revitalization.

Nick Mays [00:51:13] What do you envision? So if a development, one of the developers or one of the institutions came and sat down with you and asked you, what is your vision for a future redeveloped East Cleveland? What would that be?

Darnell Jennings [00:51:30] Well, I would definitely say, and that’s a great question, I definitely would say that. For me, I see having balance because we want to be able to sustain the pride that this city has, that the residents of this city has, that has remained or either returned. But with that, I see this city being able to have some balance. [00:51:52] I believe that there’s a healthy amount of new with the revitalization that will help to bring the city back to a significant landmark, if you will, within this state. But then I also believe that we need to sustain some of the things that was there present previously. That needs to remain. So I envision being able to see affordable housing that remains within this community so that we can have balance. [00:52:23] But also we want to be able to realize where exactly we’re located. Locale wise. We’re not far from major hospitals, so that’s business that this community has that’s literally next door to it. But then there’s also opportunity. We need new businesses to come into our city and our community as well, so that the restoration of East Cleveland can really come to fruition. [00:52:50] And I believe that being that we don’t have a grocery store and we don’t have drugstores, that’s within the city, that this revitalization is going to help to bring those things back to East Cleveland so that the pride that the people have had can just be enhanced, if anything, because of the new development.

Nick Mays [00:53:10] I often ask this question to the interviewees, and that is, what role does East Clevelanders have or what role should they have or play in future development or revitalization efforts in East Cleveland? And for some, it’s. I think everyone’s getting to the same thing, but they get there differently. When I ask you that question, what does that mean? Because they’re adamant that, yeah, we appreciate that we want external organizations in here helping us to build, but we East Clevelanders should also play a role.

Darnell Jennings [00:53:57] Yeah, that’s a great question. So I believe East Cleveland residents, of course, people that have remained within the city should be at the table. I believe that the concerns should be heard. I believe that the vision that is conducive that residents have should be heard and supported in some respects, but then also believe that the role that the residents should have as well is being the change that they want to See, I feel like a lot of the residents that were here for many years before us reaching this place and it’s here now also have somewhat been in survival mode. [00:54:41] So I believe that by the reassurance of those that are coming from the outside that it will put them at ease while they’re at the table to be able to see things from through different lenses and see how it can benefit them. But they should be able to be a voice and be at the table. [00:55:00] You know, they’ve been here. They were planted. They were contributors, major contributors in this city before some that are newer to the community got here. And so they. They have value in the things that they’re saying, but they just need. They just need to be at the table to be able to hear and have some things reiterated so they can be put at peace.

Nick Mays [00:55:21] Thank you. Bishop, what do people misunderstand about East Cleveland or its residents?

Darnell Jennings [00:55:33] I believe people misunderstand about East Cleveland and the residents. That. I believe the passion of the residents and those that are here are misunderstood. I think that the passion and the pride that the residents have is misunderstood. I believe that it’s misunderstood that because some of the current residents that’s been here for a while haven’t been able to necessarily have all the resources to make some of the changes happen, that they’re misunderstood, that they don’t want to see change happen. [00:56:14] And it’s just been, in some respects, a lack of resources. But I think the passion is misunderstood about East Cleveland or that East Cleveland doesn’t have a lot to offer. There’s many successful people that came up out of East Cleveland that went on and maybe perhaps have started businesses and been successful in other cities and states because their education took them out of state or job opportunities took them out of state. [00:56:39] So a lot of people have, I will call, for lack of a better term, slept on. The residents of East Cleveland and East Cleveland having produced successful men and women, it’s the farthest thing from the truth. There’s a lot of successful individuals that came out of East Cleveland and the residents, and they’re coming back and they’re making deposits in the city now, and they’re helping to bring the city back up.

Nick Mays [00:57:07] Does it frustrate you to see the perception of East Cleveland, or better yet, does it frustrate you to see that majority of the press or, you know, attention or discourse about East Cleveland is just the negative?

Darnell Jennings [00:57:27] I won’t say it frustrates me. Although frustration isn’t always a bad thing. I won’t say it Frustrates me. [00:57:35] I feel like the frustrating part for me, though, is that sometimes we. We waste time that we could have capitalized on certain opportunities that were attached to the time. But I would say more than anything, it’s not the residents, but our leadership for the city, the powers that be there that are in position that can make a difference in terms of being able to help change come to pass. [00:58:05] That part, sometimes it creates consternation, but. But other than that, I think overall, more than anything, I just don’t like to lose time or miss windows of opportunities that are open. And I feel like sometimes the city has missed opportunities that were there, that was attached to time. And that part is a little disappointing.

Nick Mays [00:58:29] We were at the East Cleveland Public Library, and in my research and my conversation, it’s one of the most respected and trusted institutions in East Cleveland. Do you have a program, a relationship with the East Cleveland Public Library?

Darnell Jennings [00:58:51] Sure. So I’m a part of East Cleveland Concerned Pastors. So it’s about 12 of us pastors that’s within East Cleveland is planted here. And we typically will work with some of our community leaders with having and facilitating meetings from there. So we do work closely with the library also, actually is an amazing library. [00:59:14] I feel like it probably might be the best in the state. Honestly, in my opinion, I’m not being biased either. But it’s so much history that’s interwoven into that library, and it has a lot to offer. So we do go there quite a bit sometimes. We’ll take our printing needs from church and we’ll take it there to fulfill it there, because it’s just always such a resourceful place to be able to get things done efficiently as well. [00:59:40] But we work with them. We try to facilitate some meetings there as a way of giving back and bringing attention to the library as well. And again, the East Cleveland Concerned Pastors, as much as possible as we can, use that place as a public place to facilitate certain programs from, we typically try to go there. [00:59:57] So it’s not in a religious space, because some meetings, they won’t let you have in religious spaces.

Nick Mays [01:00:03] Are you hopeful about East Cleveland’s future?

Darnell Jennings [01:00:07] I’m extremely hopeful. I’m extremely hopeful about East Cleveland future partially being biased because, you know, I know the vision that I have and the members of Lakeside, but also I’m very hopeful too, because we have some strong leadership by way of our spiritual leaders in this community. But I’m also seeing [01:00:31] thriving and passionate leaders coming to the forefront. Had the unique opportunity of being a part of Kind of interviewing some of the up and coming potential elected council individuals. We had an opportunity to have a conversation at least with them, and hearing the passion and drive that they have and their willingness to work together as a team, working with the potential elected administration that will come in, hearing that, that’s also exciting as well. [01:01:04] And just them understanding and having a pulse of where East Cleveland should be as well, it brings even more hope for me, as currently as being someone that’s planted in this community, at least our church is, and a lot of our membership as well. So that gives me a lot of hope. And then seeing the things that are being offered to this city and that’s on the horizon, like revitalization, businesses are wanting to come back. [01:01:31] Investors are starting to look here to come and invest in that would also bring additional resources to this community. It brings me a lot of hope.

Nick Mays [01:01:41] Bishop, final two questions. What message do you share or would you share with future generations about faith, resilience, and community?

Darnell Jennings [01:01:56] Well, faith I would always share with them that listen, only what you do for Christ will last. So I would encourage them to, no matter what you do, make sure you know that it’s done unto the Lord, as unto the Lord, because can never go wrong there. He won’t let your labor be in vain. [01:02:17] In terms of resilience, I would just echo the same things that I was taught, and that is understanding the importance of stick to itness just because it doesn’t happen. Now. There’s a saying that we often say within the church, and that is, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. So just echoing the things that was passed down to me and my peers, and that is to have stick to itness, you know, stick with it. [01:02:45] Being resilient requires sometimes to be in just having a determination that by any means necessary, I’m going to get this accomplished. And so I would pass that down to them, and I would also point them back to previous generations. You know, I would share with them the history of this community, to be able to see the different seasons that this community went through. [01:03:08] But yet we’re still here. So I would encourage them of that, that sometimes there’s transitions to come that are meant to catapult you into what your next is. And so I will share those things with them. You’re not going to see it unless you’re resilient, though.

Nick Mays [01:03:26] Bishop, finally, forgive me if this question isn’t appropriate, but what do you want your legacy to be?

Darnell Jennings [01:03:37] My legacy to be? That’s a great question. I want My legacy to be one that of course, you know, people would be able to see that first and foremost, I love God. Of course, that I also love my family, that I was a family man, but also that I was committed to serving God through people, you know, through serving people. [01:04:01] That I was a servant of the people, that I wasn’t a self serving leader, but that I was one that served others. I can’t get away from embodying who I am and how I’m able to be where I am. It’s mainly because of my faith. And so because of that, you know, I would also want people to know that serving is what our Lord did. [01:04:28] You know, he came not to be served, but to serve others. So I would also want my legacy to be known as being someone who was serving other people. And that also everything that I did was all about operating with, bringing people together to be able to find the commonality in one another, being able to work through differences and understanding that we have to support, you know, each other. [01:04:55] But that will probably be the main things above all that I did everything I could to leave behind the next generation in a better position than when I. When I arrived, when I got there. I believe that a wise man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but also believe that a wise man also understands that you have to leave the world in a better position than when you got there. [01:05:21] And so my legacy would be to leave wherever I had opportunity to be and serve in a better position than when I got there.

Nick Mays [01:05:29] Mr. Bishop, thank you for your work and faith in the community. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for telling us your story and thank you for welcoming us in this house of God. I really appreciate it and I’m honored.

Darnell Jennings [01:05:52] We appreciate you as well. Thank you for taking the time and even selecting us to sit down and talk. It’s been a pleasure.

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