now is the time to take the baton.
We honor the countless community leaders, past and present, who have given their time, talent, and treasure, and who have, in many cases, risked their own safety in the fight for equal opportunity for every Cleveland child. This work stands humbly on your shoulders.
Demonstrators stage a sit-in outside the office of Cleveland Superintendent William B. Levenson. January 29, 1964. Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University.
At the heart of Relay Cleveland is a powerful belief: that the stories of the past must be carried forward—relayed—by and for the people of this city.
Relay Cleveland is a public history campaign dedicated to tracing the deeply personal and profoundly political journey of school desegregation in Cleveland, Ohio. Championed by a diverse set of national and local organizations, this effort centers educational equity, civic engagement, and community-led research to illuminate a pivotal chapter in the city’s past, one that continues to shape its present and future.
The campaign draws its name from the city’s historic “relay” policy, which split school days into half-day sessions in overcrowded, predominantly Black schools—a symbol of both inequity and resilience.
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Reed v. Rhodes decision that declared Cleveland’s schools illegally segregated, the campaign honors the lived experiences of students, families, educators, and leaders who faced and fought systemic racism. Through community-driven storytelling, Relay Cleveland amplifies voices too often left out of the narrative, using history as a catalyst for reflection, advocacy, and action toward a more equitable future in education.
We invite every Clevelander—across generations, neighborhoods, and experiences—to reflect on this legacy: what school desegregation meant then, what it means now, and how we can carry its lessons forward.
Now is the time to take the baton.