The Hotel Mathews Monument on North Howard Street is the guardian of one of Akron’s richest musical legacies.
In the 1930s, the hotel was instrumental in bringing jazz to the area, providing a welcoming place for black artists from Louis Armstrong to Ella Fitzgerald to stay.
Just blocks away, the Sojourner Truth building on High Street — formerly home to Summit County Department of Job and Family Services programming — was where the abolitionist and women’s rights activist stood to deliver her famous speech, Ain’t I a Woman?
Participants took a ride through history to learn all that and more Friday during the Summit County Historical Society’s trolley tour, which highlighted sites prominent in African-American history from the abolitionist movement to today.
The historical society partnered with the city, the Akron Zoo and the University of Akron to present the tour. It was part of the university’s Rethinking Race forum, which examines race-related issues through a series of discussions and performances during Black History Month.
“It’s very important we make sure we’re sharing this history ... You see these things on a daily basis and don’t assimilate them with anything,” said Leianne Heppner, the president and CEO of the historical society. “It puts it into an everyday perspective.”
Heppner served as the guide on the hourlong tour, weaving the trolley driver in and out of the “interesting endeavors” of downtown construction while rattling off facts about each passing site.
The tour focused on prominent African-American women like Dr. Shirla McClain, who inspired the creation of the Shirla McClain Gallery of Akron’s Black History and Culture, and Salaria Kea O’Reilly, who volunteered as a nurse in the Spanish Civil War and World War II before settling in Akron.
Even some people on the tour shared a slice of African-American history. Cynthia Capers was the first African-American to earn a doctorate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986. She served as the dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Akron for 15 years.
“I’m extremely proud,” Capers said of earning her degree. “I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to see this.”
Others on the tour simply wanted to learn more about a history that is often forgotten. Iskinder Arsano, an international doctorate student studying polymer science at UA, came to Akron from Ethiopia two years ago.
“I think it’s very important to get this history across to the city,” Arsano said. “To connect my personal story with Akron’s is interesting ... These kinds of events get you out of the routine and connected to the city.”
The tour spanned all of Akron, telling the story of the city through the lives and struggles of African-Americans.
It ended with a stop at the Akron Zoo to hike up to the John Brown Memorial, which is tucked up in woods on a hill overlooking the skyline.
“John Brown is the single most consequential person ever to live in Summit County,” said Dave Lieberth, the board chair of the historical society.
Brown was a white abolitionist who harbored slaves in his home in Akron before they could escape to freedom in Canada. He eventually participated in a full-out battle against pro-slavery supporters in Kansas and led a raid on Harpers Ferry, which led to his execution.
“This was beautiful. I was a tour guide for 20 years, and I never even knew about this,” said Joyce Anthony of Mogadore. “I think all school kids should come up here.”
Theresa Cottom can be reached at 330-996-3216 or tcottom@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @Theresa_Cottom .