Finding aid for the WELCOME Records


Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: WELCOME
Title: WELCOME Records
Dates: 1971-1987
Extent: 2.60 linear feet (4 containers)
Abstract: WELCOME (Westsiders and Eastsiders Let's Come Together) was founded in 1978 in Cleveland, Ohio, by teachers, parents, and concerned citizens to create an atmosphere of peace and racial cooperation in response to the possibility of violence during the desegregation of the Cleveland Public Schools. WELCOME activities, which involved community centers and churches, included a series of bridgewalks across the Detroit Superior Bridge, the distribution of tee-shirts, the establishment of WELCOME committees at each school, and WELCOME wagons that visited neighborhoods. Once desegregation took place, WELCOME clubs were formed in the newly desegregated schools. The most active students in each club formed the citywide WELCOME Leadership Institute in 1980, funded by the Cleveland and Gund Foundations. In 1984, funding ended, and the Leadership Institute evolved into Youth United to Oppose Apartheid. WELCOME and the Leadership Institute ceased to exist. The collection consists of correspondence, programs, bylaws, desegregation studies, financial materials, minutes, newsletters, pamphlets, permits, petitions, press releases, foundation proposals, reports, testimonials, and newspaper clippings.
MS Number MS 4796
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English

History of WELCOME

WELCOME (Westsiders and Eastsiders Let's Come Together) (f.1978) was started by teachers, parents, students and concerned citizens to create an atmosphere of peace and racial cooperation in response to the possibility of violence during the desegregation of the Cleveland Public Schools. WELCOME activities, which involved community centers and churches, included a series of bridgewalks across the Detroit Superior Bridge, the distribution of thousands of free WELCOME tee-shirts, the establishment of WELCOME committees at each school, and WELCOME wagons that visited neighborhoods. Once desegregation took place, WELCOME clubs were formed in the newly desegregated schools. The most active students in each club formed the city-wide WELCOME Leadership Institute in 1980, funded by the Cleveland and Gund foundations. The Leadership Institute created a variety of activities and projects for students to work for quality education and improved race relations in the desegregated schools. In 1984 the funding ended. The Leadership Institute evolved into Youth United to Oppose Apartheid, changing its focus to fighting apartheid. WELCOME and the Leadership Institute ceased to exist.


Scope and Content

WELCOME Records, 1971-1987, consist of correspondence, programs, bylaws, desegregation studies, financial materials, minutes, newsletters, pamphlets, permits, petitions, press releases, foundation proposals, reports, testimonials and newspaper clippings.

This collection is of value to researchers seeking materials on the activities of WELCOME and the WELCOME Leadership Institute. Researchers studying civil rights, interracial cooperation, social activism, non-violent protest, recreation, community and academic education, journalism, and public school desegregation efforts of grassroots groups, will find this collection of interest. Of particular note are the files relating to the Office on School Monitoring and Community Relations, a court appointed watchdog of the Cleveland Public Schools desegregation initiative. Other files containing information on these activities include foundations that supported WELCOME, the George Gund and Cleveland Foundations; the Neighborhood Centers Association; the Greater Cleveland Project; and the Cleveland Public Schools.


Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series.
Series I: Administrative Files is arranged in two sub-series.
Sub-series A: Adult Activities, is arranged alphabetically by document type and then chronologically.
Sub-series B: WELCOME Leadership Institute is arranged alphabetically by document type and then chronologically.
Series II: Subject Files is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
Series II includes supplementary information and correspondence of organizations involved in civil rights and desegregation.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Related Material

The researcher should also consult PG 507 WELCOME Photographs.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Cleveland (Ohio) -- Race relations.
Cleveland Public Schools.
Office on School Monitoring & Community Relations.
School integration -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Segregation in education -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
WELCOME Leadership Institute.
WELCOME.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4796 WELCOME Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gail Long for WELCOME, 1997

Processing Information

Processed by Thelma Pierce in 1999

Detailed Description of The Collection

Series I: Administrative Files 1976-1984 undated

Sub-series A: Adult Activities 1976-1984 undated

Box Folder
1 1 Agendas 1979-1982
1 2 Bylaws 1980
1 3 Correspondence 1977-1984
1 4 Financial documents 1979-1983
1 5 Forms 1981
1 6 Membership lists and contacts 1979-1980
1 7 Minutes 1980-1981
1 8 Miscellaneous 1977
1 9 Newsletters 1981-1982
1 10 Newspaper clippings 1976-1982
1 11 Pamphlets 1978 undated
1 12 Permits 1979-1980
1 13 Petitions undated
1 14 Press releases 1979-1981
1 15 Programs 1978-1982
1 16 Proposals, Cleveland Foundation and George Gund Foundation 1979-1982
1 17 Reports 1979-1982
1 18 Resumes 1981
1 19 Testimonials 1981

Sub-series B: WELCOME Leadership Institute 1980-1983 undated

Box Folder
1 20 Agendas 1980-1981
1 21 Correspondence 1980-1982
1 22 Financial documents 1980-1982
1 23 Flyers 1981-1982
1 24 Forms 1980-1982
1 25 Grants 1980-1981
1 26 Member lists 1980
1 27 Minutes 1980-1982
1 28 Mission statement 1981
1 29 News releases 1981
1 30 Newsletters 1981
1 31 Pamphlets undated
1 32 Programs 1980-1983
1 33 Proposals 1980-1981
1 34 Reports 1980-1981
1 35 Scrapbook undated
1 36 Student essays undated

Series II: Subject Files 1971-1987 undated

Box Folder
1 37 AFL-CIO 1975-1981
1 38 AHS Foundation 1979-1980
1 39 Anti-Racism Literature Project 1983
1 40 Citizens Council for Ohio Schools 1977-1984 undated
1 41 Citizens for Neighborhood Schools 1976-1978
1 41 Citizens Opposed to Rearranging Kids (CORK!) 1978-1980 undated
1 42 Cleveland Beacon 1981
1 43 Cleveland Catholic Diocese 1976-1977
1 44 Cleveland Public Library 1976
Box Folder
2 45-47 Cleveland Public Schools 1978-1987 undated
2 48 Clevelanders for Quality Education Now! 1982
2 49 Clevelanders United Against Racism undated
2 50 Council on Interracial Books for Children 1974-1981 undated
2 51-52 Desegregation 1974-1982 undated
2 53 East End Neighborhood House undated
2 54 Educational Priorities Panel 1976-1981
2 55 Federation for Community Planning 1977-1982 undated
2 56 Greater Cleveland Bar Association undated
2 57 Greater Cleveland Growth Association 1979
2 58 Greater Cleveland Interchurch Council 1978-1983 undated
2 59 Greater Cleveland Project 1976-1977
2 60 Greater Cleveland Project 1977-1980 undated
2 61 Greensboro Justice Fund undated
2 62 Infact: Clergy and Laity Concerned 1981
2 63 Institute for Responsive Education 1977
2 64 Legal Aid Society 1977-1980 undated
2 65 Martha Holden Jennings Foundation 1979
2 66 Merrick House 1977-1979 undated
2 67 Midwest Youth Coalition 1982-1983 undated
2 68 National Anti-Klan Network 1980-1982 undated
2 69 National Association of Social Workers 1971
2 70 National Council of Churches of Christ 1982-1984 undated
2 71 National Lawyers Guild 1976-1982
2 72 National Resources for Youth 1980 undated
2 73 National Youth Work Alliance 1982 undated
2 74 Neighborhood Centers Association 1978-1981
2 75-76 Office on School Monitoring 1976-1980 undated
Box Folder
3 77-80 Office on School Monitoring 1981-1987 undated
3 81 Presbytery of the Western Reserve 1977
3 82 Southern Poverty Law Center 1981-1982 undated
3 83 Student Teacher Organization to Prevent Nuclear War 1982 undated
3 84 Task Group on Community Action undated
3 85 Theses and papers submitted to WELCOME 1975 1982
3 86 Theses and papers submitted to WELCOME 1983 undated
Box Folder
4 87 Tuff (Those United to Fight Fascism) 1979-1981 undated
4 88 United Church of Christ 1983 undated
4 89 United Freedom Movement undated
4 90 United States Commission on Civil Rights 1972
4 91 Upward Bound 1980
4 92 West Side Desegregation Group undated
4 93 Whites for Rights undated
4 94 Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice undated
4 95 YWCA 1979-1983 undated
4 96 The Youth Project 1979-1981 undated