June 7 …
Karamu House in Cleveland, OH is the nation’s oldest African American theater and community arts center, notable for fostering Black artistic talent and civic engagement.
The theater was founded on June 7, 1915 as The Play House Settlement by Russell and Rowena Jelliffe — with the backing of the Charity Organization Society and the Union Baptist Church — to cater to the ethnically diverse Hough neighborhood. The couple envisioned a community center that integrated recreation, education, and dramatic arts to foster interracial cooperation and uplift the community.
The theater was renamed Karamu House in 1919. Its mission focused on cultural enrichment, social improvement, and the professional development of actors and artists, offering theater productions, classes, and social services that creatively addressed community needs.
Throughout the Harlem Renaissance and beyond, Karamu emerged as a pivotal incubator for talent, nurturing performers, playwrights, and directors, including Langston Hughes and Jesse Owens, who participated in its early programs. The theater’s repertoire featured a blend of classical plays, new works by Black writers, community-centered productions, and workshops that trained generations of artists and technicians.
Its influence expanded into film and the broader entertainment industry through its alumni and various collaborations, while community programs such as youth theater, arts education, and outreach advanced social justice by increasing access to the arts. The theater provided a platform for African American voices in a segregated cultural landscape.
Karamu House has garnered both local and national recognition for its cultural and civic contributions, receiving honors from arts commissions and civic organizations, historic preservation designations for its buildings, and invitations to engage in national cultural initiatives. Its legacy continues to thrive in Cleveland’s cultural landscape, reflected in the careers of the artists it has launched and its ongoing commitment to linking artistic excellence with community empowerment.
