Written by: Tyisha Blade
Dearest East Cleveland,
Our city is beautiful. Full of great people accomplishing goals and achieving all things wonderful. Stemming from poverty, we rise through oppression. We are a city of jewels that shine like stars upon the navy midnight sky. With the many magnificent individuals emerging from the city, our media coverage isn’t always the best. So, I decided to create a platform for our people so the world can know our greatness. Initially, I wasn’t quite sure where to begin, but living through a pandemic and fearing for our people’s lives during protests, I gained a moment of clarity.
This moment of complete transparency was preceded by numerous conversations with community leaders such as Ronald Kisner, founder and editor of Cleveland State’s Vindicator Magazine. I couldn’t believe I was able to meet and have a working relationship with the founder of our publication. The moment I met him added to the many steps along this precious journey. Steps that included, for instance, speaking with Councilman Basheer Jones. After our conversation, I had a better understanding of OUR founding fathers as Jones related to meeting a founder as well. Then, as his voice resonates now, he told me that I have what it takes to be a founder and to “just go do it.”
After an unfortunate apartment fire on the 140th block of Lakeshore, the universe brought me back to East Cleveland earlier this year. I relocated and, during my last semester of college, I began to look into community journalism. With the help of Rich Weiss, Executive Director of Neighborhood Media Foundation, I began to explore the different aspects of the topic.
During my studies at Cleveland State University, I began to realize my purpose as a writer. This began with Edward Horowitz, Ph.D. during his lectures for the Foundations of Journalism and Promotional Communication course and in a personal discovery of the Black Studies program led by Thomas Bynam, Ph.D. This was quite the epiphany of experience during my second semester at the university. After graduating, I realized the obligations that I have to the city of East Cleveland. So, I began searching for ways to create a publication for us. Research included attending East Cleveland city council meetings, searching for funding to eventually incorporate a print version of a magazine and networking with colleagues from college, such as Alexia Carcelli and East Cleveland natives, such as Chardonnay Graham, Erick Mosley and Courtney Bean Jones to start the process.
Interestingly, as I was unpacking some items from storage for my new apartment, I came across the first publication that I had ever created. I had completely forgotten about it. Titled Book of Possibilities, I created this publication for a project assigned by Mrs. Moore in her African American History class when I was a sophomore at Shaw High School. It contained images and captions of what I figured my life would be like post high school graduation. In Mrs. Moore’s notes she wrote, “Great pictures, creative work!” I received 200 out of 200 points. Little did I know that media writing and creating publications would be something that I would dedicate much of my life’s work to. Funnily enough, many of my, then, ideals still take form in my life now.
When I started writing at Cleveland State, I had no idea how many lives could be touched through the power of words. I studied very closely the work of a historical journalist and Mississippi native, Ida B. Wells, who wrote about the injustices Blacks faced in the South. I also gained a better perspective of my purpose after reading W.E.B. Dubois’ discussion on The Talented Tenth, where he explains how the top tenth percentile of a people should use their talents to educate the masses. With this knowledge, I began to write and never stopped. Taking on projects with Cleveland Magazine, Destination Cleveland and Cleveland Scene Magazine further nurtured my skills and began my career. Writing has been a guiding light in my life and I can’t imagine where I would be without it.
I have a running joke with some colleagues at Cleveland State about writing everything down in my planner. During my collegiate years, my planner looked as though I was attempting to cram a week’s worth of work into one day, every single day. My joke referred to many events and meetings that I would have to remember. “If I don’t write it down, it’s like it didn’t happen,” I would say. When I actually thought about the context of these words coupled with the history of our ancestors, I felt that as a witness to current events, I must write. Years from now, people will know us. They will know of our time from our perspectives and opinions.
To my young Kings and Queens of the East Cleveland city, we will have scars. We will have battle wounds and we will persevere. We will have pain that resonates through a respected process. To my elders, thank you for paving the way for us to do what we need to do to grow our culture and blossom in society. To the current residents of East Cleveland, I know the living conditions can be rough at times. Hopefully, with the start of this publication, we can hopefully begin to shed light on positive aspects of the city and uplift our people. I give you The East Clevelander.
Best,
Your Editor-in-Chief
Tyisha Blade
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