Clevelander, Se’Mia Bray, stood in Montgomery, Alabama – far from home – holding a large mason jar filled with soil from West 98th street and Lorain avenue. She and a small group had traveled more than 800 miles to bring the soil to rest at a memorial for victims of racial violence. They were there to honor John Jordan, the only known lynching victim in Cuyahoga County.

People gathered in a semi-circle in the lobby of the National Memorial for Justice and Peace. A quiet intensity filled the air as members of Cleveland’s Black Environmental Leaders, some with their heads bowed, reflected on the five-year journey to bring the soil to Montgomery. 

“Some of the most memorable and historic things that have happened in my life have happened in very quiet moments when no one is around,” said Bray, co-director of Black Environmental Leaders, while addressing those at the intimate ceremony. “This is one of those moments. There is not a massive crowd of people here, but we are here.” 

The five-year journey

The passing of the soil sample officially completed the Community Remembrance Project. Black Environmental Leaders and the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery partnered on the multi-phrase project to honor Jordan, who was killed in 1911, at what is now known as West 98th street and Lorain avenue. A white mob formed after Jordan and two of his friends picked cherries from a local farmer’s cherry orchard.

Members of Black Environmental Leaders (BEL), a non-profit organization focused on environmental justice and climate activism, learned about Jordan’s story in 2020. They contacted The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) and wanted to make sure Jordan’s legacy was uplifted and remembered, Bray said.

EJI, a non-profit law organization, is focused on criminal justice reform and challenging racial inequity in America. The organization partners with groups nationwide in an effort to memorialize documented victims of racial violence and educate people about the history of racial injustice.

The two groups have been working together for the past five years to complete the project. Leaders placed a marker in Slavic Village back in June to commemorate Jordan’s life.

Now, the Cleveland soil sample will be placed inside the Legacy Museum, one of EJI’s three Legacy Sites in Montgomery. The Legacy Sites, which include the National Memorial and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, aim to educate people about the history of the Black American experience.

An intimate occasion

Back in Montgomery, Pastor Richard Gibson, of the Elizabeth Baptist Church in Slavic Village, offered a prayer. Jennifer Harris, the senior project manager at EJI, who accepted the soil sample, followed with remarks.

“The common goal is to tell the truth about America’s racial history,” Harris said. “Community partners like BEL help us carry that mission and that vision out.”

Soil collections and historical markers are just one way to get the narrative out, she added.

“We hope communities can get to a place where they can acknowledge, reckon and help confront the tragic history of America,” Harris said.

Moments of reflection

Bray took the time to individually acknowledge each member of BEL and their contributions to the completion of the project. Some members took some personal time to reflect and share their sentiments with the group.

Randy Cunningham attended with his wife, Tris Cunningham. Their ancestors were part of the Confederacy. They know they cannot change the past actions of their ancestors, Cunningham said. Instead, they used this trip to further educate themselves about John Jordan and other racial atrocities across the country.

“There was no investigation, no one was charged,” Randy Cunningham said. “All this violence over a handful of cherries. Going through these exhibits, I felt a feeling of pure evil.”

Some members, like Renauld Jones, have been involved in the Community Remembrance Project from the beginning. Jones described feelings of pride and hope as the group prepared to head back home to Cleveland.

“To be able to witness the culmination of a five-year, multi-state collaboration,” Jones said. “I am filled with gratitude and reverence.”

“Each conversation, each exchange and each step toward the historical marker and the presentation of soil was an act of remembrance – and resistance.”