First Collection Highlights Sites and Stories of Black History in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Cincinnati Preservation Association introduces a new website/app titled Cincinnati Sites and Stories which lets visitors explore the people, places, and moments which have shaped Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s history.
In honor of Black History Month, the website’s initial collection, Sites and Stories of Black History, is designed to preserve collective memory by recognizing the African American milestones and movements that have shaped Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
The site includes such stories like that of the Fossett family, former enslaved people at Thomas Jefferson’s plantation, who moved to Cincinnati. Learn how an incident in 1860 on a streetcar prompted Sarah Fossett into a fight to desegregate public transportation in Cincinnati. Or dive into the history of King Records and how rock and roll created in a brick building in Evanston crossed racial lines and revolutionized American music.
As part of CPA’s Sites of Black History Project, the stories in this collection will present the area’s rich Black history through text, photographs, and multimedia.
Visitors will also be able to explore Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky history via virtual tours such as Union Baptist Cemetery Tour. The tours will allow visitors to explore the sites and stories online.
This interactive website/app will be continually updated and expanded in the future with other curated collections about Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s historic sites and stories. Cincinnati Preservation is collaborating on content and writing with scholars and other organizations throughout the region. CPA researcher Deqah Hussein-Wetzel, is organizing the data and writing about sites of Black history.
The project currently has thematic articles that identify, document, and publicize the significant Black history on both sides of the Ohio River. Examples of themes include Civil Rights, religious spaces, educational institutions, civic organizations, urban planning and design, architecture, parks and recreation, entertainment, neighborhoods and districts, industry, and business.
CPA Board Member Dr. Eric Jackson, Professor of History and Director of the Black Studies Program at Northern Kentucky University notes that “This new mapping tool, particularly with a focus on the history, culture, and experiences of African Americans in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, will show that despite numerous obstacles and against seemingly insurmountable odds, African Americans made a significant contribution in many fields, ranging from music, medicine, education, performing arts, poetry, and athletics.”
The website and app software was developed by the Center for Public History + Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University.
To view the web version, use this link: Cincinnati Sites and Stories. For the free app at the Apple App Store, use this App Store link. For Android devices use this link from the Google Play.
Funding for CPA’s Sites of Black History Project was provided by the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.