The Report of the African American Landmark Preservation Initiative (AALPI) is published and available. AALPI researched and documented African American settlements in Columbus including Burnside Heights, Hanford Village, Flytown, Poindexter Village, and more. The goal of this initiative was to collaborate with existing and new preservation organizations and individuals, researchers, archivists, and others to research the identified African American settlements that existed and still exist throughout all geographic quadrants in Columbus.
The two-year AALPI project was supported by a major grant from the Ohio Humanities Council. The OHC grant provided the necessary match for the initial grant from the Richard and Julia Moe Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.The initiative was also supported with private donations through Power2Give, GCAC’s crowd-funding platform. AALPI recruited volunteers, provided free workshops on research and preservation, engaged over 40 volunteers in an on-going community based research project.
Toni Smith served as project manager. Guided by retired librarian Becky Ellis, the west side team was a lively group of community elders engaged in high octane discussions about their childhood neighborhood of Burnside Heights, including snake hunts and elephant sightings. Veteran researcher Nettie Ferguson created an engaging portrait of David Jenkins, a little-known African American with accomplishments as vast as the better known Reverend James Poindexter. Cheryl and Frederic Garrett, Lenore Thomas and Lloyd Clark, and Julialynne Walker met for weeks and months, independently and with other researchers, to mine information about the Near East Side, the historic Franklin Park Medical Center, Bronzeville, and Poindexter Village. Sellsville, Mudsock and other little known and well known African American settlements were discovered, uncovered, and distinguished.
A panel of experts reviewed the project and discussed its implications for future community based research activities in September. Panelists were Sam Gresham, Common Cause Ohio; Hasan Jeffries, The Ohio State University; Barbara Powers, Ohio History Connection: and Reita Smith, First Families of Ohio.
>>READ 1.19.13 Columbus Dispatch story
The African American Landmarks Preservation Initiative Report provides the city of Columbus with an opportunity to lean about and share a very important piece of Columbus history. I hope, at some point, the information included in this report along with expanded information on the history and contributions of all minority populations, will become a regular component of the teaching curriculum in history and social science classes. Kudos to those who have taken the time and the effort to help educate me and many others about the city I call my home.
ART
I was wondering how to obtain a copy of this report. I’d love to see it! Thanks.
Sorry for the delay in our response, Kiley. The report is available to download at
https://columbuslandmarks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/1214-395_final_LR.pdf
Print copies will be available in all Columbus Metropolitan Library branches & Columbus City Schools libraries soon.
Please let me know when a hard copy will be available. I see the library and schools will have copies, how can I get purchase a personal copy? Thank you for this report.
Michelle Chambers Robison
Hi Michelle -sorry for the delay in our response. We are seeking funding for a re-print and will let you know as soon as they are available. Thank you for your interest. Becky West
The article on Burnside Heights was well written and very interesting. Most of the places included in this piece were familiar to me. People and places. However, I couldn’t help but notice only a select few residents were mentioned. My family, Douglass, lived in Burnside since the 1950’s and have accomplished some things that should have warranted inclusion in this article.
Frances – thank you for your interest in the recently published Report of the African American Landmarks Preservation Initiative. Although we tried our best to reach the public about this project through research, press coverage and public meetings, we are well aware that much of the African-American history of Columbus and vicinity remains to be told. I assure you that this research and gathering of materials will continue. Please feel free to contact us at your convenience and we will be happy to direct you to people who are working in this area. Also, you may wish to contact the Genealogy, History and Travel Division of the Columbus Metropolitan Library which is collecting materials for its African American Digital Collection. Best – Ed Lentz
When we received our copy of this publication at my school, I could not wait to look through it. While I was flipping through the pages, I see my great grandpa, Nimrod Allen! I learned so much about him, realizing I never grasped the amount he accomplished for African American’s in Columbus (founding the Urban League and was known as “the most prominent leader and power broker in the black community for at least two decades”) ! Thank you so much for putting together this report!
You are welcome! We are so pleased you enjoyed the report.
As a life-long resident of Columbus, I found this report to be outstanding in content. It explained some wonderful historical facts about our community and how it evolved. The pictures, some of which I had seen and a lot I had never seen, were very enlightening. I thank you for this very informative and much-needed report! Obviously, your committee agrees with me when I say that history is one of the most important facets of mankind’s continued existence!
P. S. I got to see my Nursery School Teacher, Helen Paxton, once again!!