Media contact(s):
Tyler Sinclair: (216) 263-4545; tsinclair01@cuyahogacounty.us

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH - In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Cuyahoga County released today a refreshed interactive story map highlighting the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s visits across Cuyahoga County as he led the civil rights movement.

Reverend King made frequent trips to Cuyahoga County beginning in 1956 during his career as a civil rights leader. While on his visits, Reverend King fortified the local nonviolent civil rights movement, urged voter registration and participation, and raised funds for organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

This interactive map can be used to follow Reverend King’s trips through the County, view photos, watch videos and hear audio from speeches he made while visiting. This map aims to serve as a resource that can accompany other existing forms of information as well as spur resident contribution.

“Northeast Ohio played a critical part of the civil rights movement—from the creation of the United Freedom Movement to the election of Carl Stokes in Cleveland, the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city,” said County Executive Chris Ronayne. “Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. made a mark on Cuyahoga County during his visits spanning over 11 years. This interactive map is an historical resource made possible by our libraries, educational, and media institutions who have been archiving for decades. I encourage those interested in our local history to explore all this story map has to offer.”

Members of the public are encouraged to contribute additional information or supportive materials by emailing communications@cuyahogacounty.us. This info will be vetted and join materials collected from the archives of Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Memory Project, Cleveland Public Library, the Plain Dealer photo archives, the Western Reserve Historical Society, WEWS Channel 5 and Cleveland Scene Magazine.

The map can be viewed at cuyahogacounty.us/mlkvisits.