Resistance Fair 2026
The Resistance Fair is a gathering of groups working every day to bring our values to life — protecting targeted communities, our environment, and our democracy.
A Source of Self-Regard: A Historical Exploration of Toni Morrison's Literature - Session One
This course is a “deep dive” into the 11 novels of the Lorain native and Nobel Prize-winning author that provides participants four weeks of preparation for each session due to the dense nature and intricate artistry of Morrison’s prose.
Explore the work of a local hero and one of the greatest writers of all time as a uniquely illuminating version of the American narrative, beginning in the 1680s with a mercy and ending in the 2000s with God Help the Child.
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Session 1
February 21 - Course Intro
March 21 - A Mercy
April 18 - Beloved
You can purchase your Morrison books at a discount for this class this link: Toni Morrisson Collection – ThirdSpace Reading Room
Reader series classes are designed to help you gain a more advanced understanding of literature and the world. Experienced instructors will provide history, context, and analysis, and guide in-depth discussion that will help make you more knowledgeable on a single text or author’s body of work.
Each participant can decide how they choose to engage with the classes. You can read the books ahead of time, read them as the class progresses, or read them after the class has concluded. No matter your level of prior knowledge, you will receive a wealth of materials and insights in a condensed period, like a masterclass or a great course, only right here in Cleveland.
Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story
Tickets Here
Everyone knows the phrase “Black is Beautiful,” but few know of the man who helped popularize it. Little known Harlem based photographer - freedom fighter and activist - Kwame Brathwaite took 500,000 photos across his 70-year career, always devoted to celebrating the joy and beauty of African American life. This feature documentary tells the story of Kwame and the “Black is Beautiful” movement.
Landscape Lore: Quiet Rebellion - Finding peace to perform alternate forms of activism
Landscape Lore is a tea + book discussion to introduce people to the world of landscape storytelling. The featured book is Do Not Separate Her from Her Garden by Carlyn Ena Ferrari, which analyzes the nature-themed poetry of Anne Spencer, civil rights activist and artist. Maci will start with a book presentation and then move into discussion. Reading the book is not required for participation but reading some of it leads to lively conversation. Pick up your copy at the ThirdSpace Bookstore today!
Maci Nelson, founder of The Landscape Nerd, is a storyteller, nerdy mom, and advocate for inclusivity in the built environment. She is trained as a landscape architect and created a platform to study landscape through an inclusive and trailblazing lens. She dives into the intersections of design, history, culture, and community, while amplifying underrepresented voices in the field to make landscape architecture more accessible and inspiring.
Bridging The Gap: Centering Black Trans Lives
Join us for an intentional mixer and panel discussion dedicated to centering Black trans lives and experiences. Bridging The Gap is about radical inclusivity and creating spaces where every member of our community can define their own narrative. Whether you’re joining us in person or tuning into the live stream, this is a vital opportunity to listen, connect, and strengthen the ties that bind the full spectrum of our community together.
Karaoke Through The Decades
Celebrate the soundtrack of Black excellence at our Decades Karaoke Night. From Motown soul to 90s R&B and modern Hip-Hop, we’re paying homage to the genres Black artists pioneered and perfected. Dress in your favorite era’s fashion and join us for a night of pure, unadulterated Black joy—where the only rule is that you sing from the heart and celebrate the music that defines us.
3 rules:
1. It must be a song from a genre of music invented by Black Americans (rock, funk, gospel, soul, R&B, etc)
2. It must be a song by a Black artist from the 20th or 21st century
3. You SHOULD/ must know the words and the melody to the song without the karaoke lyrics. Don't go up there singing gibberish and mumbling
Buying Back the Block: Fireside Chat with Lyneir Richardson (VIRTUAL)
Get the blueprint for community sovereignty in this virtual fireside chat with Lyneir Richardson. As a leader in commercial real estate and anti-racist investment strategies, Richardson will discuss how we can transition from being residents to being owners of our neighborhoods. This is a must-attend for community developers and supporters ready to implement tangible strategies for buying back the block and securing our economic future.
Intergenerational Lunch BHM Program featuring Ronald Kisner
Gather at the table for a multi-generational exchange of wisdom and history. We are honored to host Ronald Kisner, a veteran journalist formerly of Ebony and Jet Magazine, to share insights from a career spent documenting the Black experience. This lunch program is designed to bridge the gap between our elders and our current practitioners, ensuring the lessons of the past continue to inform our movements for the future.
Black Children's Book Week Book Fair
Invest in the next generation of storytellers at the Black Children’s Book Fair. We’re bringing together local Black authors, educators, and families to celebrate literacy and representation in children’s literature. Beyond the books, enjoy free resources and a family-friendly yoga session designed to nurture both the minds and spirits of our youth. Let’s build a foundation of pride and possibility through the stories we give our children.
A Source of Self-Regard: A Historical Exploration of Toni Morrison's Literature - Session One
This course is a “deep dive” into the 11 novels of the Lorain native and Nobel Prize-winning author that provides participants four weeks of preparation for each session due to the dense nature and intricate artistry of Morrison’s prose.
Explore the work of a local hero and one of the greatest writers of all time as a uniquely illuminating version of the American narrative, beginning in the 1680s with a mercy and ending in the 2000s with God Help the Child.
-----
Session 1
March 21 - A Mercy
April 18 - Beloved
You can purchase your Morrison books at a discount for this class this link: Toni Morrisson Collection – ThirdSpace Reading Room
Reader series classes are designed to help you gain a more advanced understanding of literature and the world. Experienced instructors will provide history, context, and analysis, and guide in-depth discussion that will help make you more knowledgeable on a single text or author’s body of work.
Each participant can decide how they choose to engage with the classes. You can read the books ahead of time, read them as the class progresses, or read them after the class has concluded. No matter your level of prior knowledge, you will receive a wealth of materials and insights in a condensed period, like a masterclass or a great course, only right here in Cleveland.
A Source of Self-Regard: A Historical Exploration of Toni Morrison's Literature - Session One
This course is a “deep dive” into the 11 novels of the Lorain native and Nobel Prize-winning author that provides participants four weeks of preparation for each session due to the dense nature and intricate artistry of Morrison’s prose.
Explore the work of a local hero and one of the greatest writers of all time as a uniquely illuminating version of the American narrative, beginning in the 1680s with a mercy and ending in the 2000s with God Help the Child.
-----
Session 1
April 18 - Beloved
You can purchase your Morrison books at a discount for this class this link: Toni Morrisson Collection – ThirdSpace Reading Room
Reader series classes are designed to help you gain a more advanced understanding of literature and the world. Experienced instructors will provide history, context, and analysis, and guide in-depth discussion that will help make you more knowledgeable on a single text or author’s body of work.
Each participant can decide how they choose to engage with the classes. You can read the books ahead of time, read them as the class progresses, or read them after the class has concluded. No matter your level of prior knowledge, you will receive a wealth of materials and insights in a condensed period, like a masterclass or a great course, only right here in Cleveland.
Can You Feel The Spirit: An Interactive Listening Session on the Cultural Trace of Gospel Music
Experience the "listening session" that maps the DNA of the global soundscape. From the vocal arrangements of The Clark Sisters to the mainstream crossovers of Kirk Franklin, we are examining the profound influence of Gospel music on R&B, Pop, and Hip-Hop. Join this interactive lecture to hear how the sanctuary birthed the world’s most iconic genres and why the Gospel sound remains the bedrock of Black cultural expression.
Black History 100: Continuing the Legacy
Join us for an unforgettable evening honoring 100 years of Black history through the power of music, theater, and dance. This special celebration brings stories to life, uplifts voices, and reflects on the legacy that continues to shape our community and culture.
A Night of Powerful Words, Theater, and Dance
Friday, February 20
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Cleveland Music Hall
Come experience an inspiring night of artistic expression that honors the past, celebrates the present, and carries the legacy forward
After the Credits - A collective conversation on what we're watching and what it's teaching us
Step into a virtual "think tank" for the culture as we process the media currently shaping the Black imagination. In the spirit of the best social media discourse, After the Credits brings us together to analyze how modern film and television depict Black labor, family dynamics, and survival. This is a space for practitioners and creatives to deconstruct the narratives we consume and collectively define what these stories mean for our cultural trajectory in 2025
City of Cleveland Annual Job Fair & Open House!
Kick off 2026 with the City of Cleveland Annual Job Fair & Open House!
This is your chance to:
Meet representatives from all City departments and divisions
Discover a variety of career paths and opportunities
Learn how working for the City can benefit you and your community
Whether you’re seeking your first role, exploring a career change, or just curious about what the City has to offer, this event is the perfect way to start 2026 on the right foot.
When: February 18 | 11AM – 2PM
Where: Cleveland Public Auditorium, 500 Lakeside Ave E
Pre-registration is encouraged but not required!
https://forms.office.com/g/Zh9wGdhQN5
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, explore, and be inspired. The City of Cleveland is more than a workplace—it’s where your next chapter begins!
Recipes We Carry: Black Food, Memory, and Storytelling
Ground your practice in the ancestral wisdom of Black foodways. Recipes We Carry is an interactive exploration of how culinary traditions serve as vessels for survival, joy, and historical preservation. Join us for a storytelling session and live cooking demonstration that traces the migration of our flavors and memories, offering a sensory-rich look at how food continues to anchor our communities and our identities.
The Work Beyond the Walls
Explore the Black Church as a blueprint for resilience and progressive community development. This session moves beyond theology to analyze faith-based institutions as engines for social capital, economic growth, and systemic change. We’ll honor this historic legacy while reimagining the role of the church today through an anti-racist community development lens, identifying how practitioners can partner with these cornerstones to foster lasting neighborhood transformation.
Card Party Cabaret
Reconnect with the communal joy and strategic genius of Black leisure at the Card Party Cabaret. In partnership with the Presidents' Council, we’re hosting an evening of Spades, Whist, Tonk, and Dominoes—the games that have served as the heartbeat of our social capital for generations. Pull up for a night of healthy competition and organic networking, where we celebrate the culture of the table and the bonds that keep our professional and personal communities thriving.
Uptight! (1968) Film Screening
Witness a vital piece of Cleveland’s Black Freedom movement history with a screening of the 1968 classic Uptight!. Filmed on location in Cleveland’s Hough and Glenville neighborhoods, this film captures a pivotal moment in the struggle for Black liberation and community sovereignty. Following the screening, we’ll hold a deep-dive discussion at the ThirdSpace Reading Room to analyze the film’s lasting impact on our local geography and its relevance to our current work in community development and racial equity.
Historical note/Fun Fact: The film was shot on location in the Hough neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio.[2] In 1969, Variety reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation "closely monitored the making of Uptight right up to the eve of its premiere."[3] The FBI was first alerted to the subject matter of the film by employees at Paramount Pictures in May 1968. During its production, crew members and studio workers acted as informants to agents at the FBI's Cleveland office, who directly reported details of the set to bureau director J. Edgar Hoover.[3] (Source: Wikipedia)
Write It Forward: A Black Writing & Storytelling Lab
Unlock the power of your narrative at Write It Forward, an intentional virtual laboratory for Black writers and storytellers. This isn't just another workshop; it’s a protected space designed to help you advance your current manuscripts, essays, or community projects through focused writing sprints and collective feedback. Whether you are documenting local history or architecting new worlds, join us to sharpen your craft and build cultural memory within a community of peers who understand the weight and worth of Black stories.
Standing on Legacy: Celebrating One Year at MLK
Register Here
Standing on Legacy: Celebrating One Year at MLK is a vibrant, multigenerational open-house experience featuring music, refreshments, hands-on activities, youth creativity, and community storytelling. Guests can explore engagement stations from cultural partners, enjoy live performances, and contribute to a community reflection wall highlighting the Campus’s first year.
This event showcases the impact of the MLK Campus and the legacy it continues to build with the neighborhood.
DJ & a Live Band
Refreshments
Youth Performances
Celebrity Author Event
After the event, we invite you to join us for At the Table: A Conversation with Amy DuBois Barnett.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Campus, 10601 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106
Peace of Mind - Free Men's Health Event
Join Resonate for a Peace of Mind, a free men’s health event focused on mental wellness, fatherhood, and real conversation, on January 24, 2026, from 12–3 PM at Killingsworth Place, 4127 E. 131st Street, Suite 200.
Expect honest dialogue, free food, music, and trusted local resources.
To RSVP, call or text Robert Pruitt at (440) 290-9304
Black Queer Collective Kickback Meetup
Join us for our monthly QTBIPOC Community Kickback at Thirdspace Reading Room on Wednesday, January 21st from 6–8 PM. We’re gathering for an evening of connection, laughter, and rest.
This group’s mission is to create a safe, affirming, and joyful space where queer and trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Color can show up as their full selves, build community, and make new memories together. We’re all about healing, representation, and celebrating our lives and stories through conversation, support, and shared experiences.
All BIPOC fam are welcome—come as you are, bring a friend, and tap into a community that sees you, honors you, and holds space for you. 🖤🌈
Leader Lunch Break: Mordecai Cargill - Cleveland Leadership Center
Register Here
Leader Lunch Breaks are a free series of virtual discussions to help you stay on top of relevant community issues and happenings.
FREE COMMUNITY YOGA
Our monthly Yoga session at ThirdSpace. Come relax before the frenzy of the holiday season. Bring your own Yoga Mat
Together in Tradition: A Kwanzaa Celebration
Register: https://cpl.libcal.com/event/15272203
In Partnership with Djanpo Cultural Arts Institute, join us for a vibrant and meaningful Kwanzaa celebration honoring African and African American traditions. This immersive cultural experience will promote unity, empowerment, and creativity through soulful music, captivating dancing, engaging storytelling, and community engagement for all ages.
Greater Cleveland Kwanzaa Alliance & Nropi
Kwanzaa celebration with the Greater Cleveland Kwanzaa Alliance.