Black American Descendants of the Great Migration and U.S. Freedmen

Get Involved
A carefully arranged desktop scene featuring a sleek, open laptop displaying a modern civic planning dashboard, surrounded by printed charts, neighborhood blueprints, and a folded brochure titled “Generational Wealth & Community Development.” The desk is a smooth, medium-toned wood with a subtle grain, positioned near a large window overlooking a blurred urban lakefront. Late-afternoon natural light creates a warm, professional glow, casting precise, clean shadows from a small potted plant and a heavy glass paperweight. Photographic realism, eye-level composition with a shallow depth of field that keeps the laptop and documents crisp while softening the background, conveying focused, data-driven community work in a calm, orderly environment.

Our Mission

Learn how residents, elders, and youth collaborate to shape Summit Lake’s future together.

About

We organize Summit Lake descendants of the Great Migration and U.S. Freedmen to build power, protect culture, expand civic participation, and secure community-driven development and generational wealth in Akron, Ohio.

Join us
A close-up of a sturdy, well-worn community bulletin board made of cork and framed in dark wood, completely covered with colorful flyers and neatly pinned notices. Prominent among them is a professionally printed poster reading “Summit Lake Civic Engagement Initiative” beside one titled “Black American Descendants of the Great Migration & U.S. Freedmen.” Pins, paper edges, and layered textures are captured in high detail. The board is mounted on a softly painted, neutral wall in a community center hallway. Overhead fluorescent lighting is diffused, creating even illumination without harsh glare. Photographic realism, shot straight on with sharp focus across the entire board, evoking an active, organized hub of information and opportunity without showing any human figures.
A large, detailed neighborhood map of the Summit Lake area printed on slightly textured matte paper, spread across a dark wooden community table. The map highlights streets, parks, and the lakeshore in rich, natural colors, with clear labels for historic Black neighborhoods and civic landmarks. Soft, indirect daylight from a nearby window washes over the map, creating gentle shadows at the paper’s curled edges. A polished metal fountain pen rests near a marked “Summit Lake” label, and a slim leather-bound notebook lies partly open in the background. Photographic realism, shot from a slightly elevated angle with sharp focus throughout, conveying a professional, organized, and hopeful atmosphere centered on local civic engagement and place-based identity.
A dignified collection of historic objects arranged on a dark linen-covered table: a stack of sepia-toned archival photographs of early Black families in the Great Migration era (faces turned away or out of frame), a worn leather-bound ledger labeled “Freedmen Records,” and a folded map marked with migration routes leading to the Summit Lake area. Behind them, a subtle backdrop of vintage legal documents and land deeds is softly blurred. Warm directional studio lighting from the left creates gentle highlights on the paper textures and faint shadows along the table folds. Photographic realism, captured at a low, museum-style angle with a moderate depth of field, conveying reverence, cultural preservation, and the weight of documented history.
A symbolic still life representing generational wealth building: a neat stack of hardcover books on finance and homeownership, a small model of a classic two-story house with a dark roof and brick façade, and a clear glass jar partially filled with coins and rolled bills labeled “Community Investment – Summit Lake.” These items are arranged on a polished wooden sideboard against a softly textured, deep-blue wall that conveys trust and stability. Window light from the right creates a gentle gradient across the background and reflective highlights on the glass jar and glossy book covers. Photographic realism, composed using the rule of thirds with a shallow depth of field, producing a calm, aspirational, and professional mood connected to long-term prosperity for Black communities.

Our Leaders

A carefully arranged desktop scene featuring a sleek, open laptop displaying a modern civic planning dashboard, surrounded by printed charts, neighborhood blueprints, and a folded brochure titled “Generational Wealth & Community Development.” The desk is a smooth, medium-toned wood with a subtle grain, positioned near a large window overlooking a blurred urban lakefront. Late-afternoon natural light creates a warm, professional glow, casting precise, clean shadows from a small potted plant and a heavy glass paperweight. Photographic realism, eye-level composition with a shallow depth of field that keeps the laptop and documents crisp while softening the background, conveying focused, data-driven community work in a calm, orderly environment.

Aarav Sharma

A close-up of a sturdy, well-worn community bulletin board made of cork and framed in dark wood, completely covered with colorful flyers and neatly pinned notices. Prominent among them is a professionally printed poster reading “Summit Lake Civic Engagement Initiative” beside one titled “Black American Descendants of the Great Migration & U.S. Freedmen.” Pins, paper edges, and layered textures are captured in high detail. The board is mounted on a softly painted, neutral wall in a community center hallway. Overhead fluorescent lighting is diffused, creating even illumination without harsh glare. Photographic realism, shot straight on with sharp focus across the entire board, evoking an active, organized hub of information and opportunity without showing any human figures.

Mateo García

A large, detailed neighborhood map of the Summit Lake area printed on slightly textured matte paper, spread across a dark wooden community table. The map highlights streets, parks, and the lakeshore in rich, natural colors, with clear labels for historic Black neighborhoods and civic landmarks. Soft, indirect daylight from a nearby window washes over the map, creating gentle shadows at the paper’s curled edges. A polished metal fountain pen rests near a marked “Summit Lake” label, and a slim leather-bound notebook lies partly open in the background. Photographic realism, shot from a slightly elevated angle with sharp focus throughout, conveying a professional, organized, and hopeful atmosphere centered on local civic engagement and place-based identity.

Zuri Ndlovu

A dignified collection of historic objects arranged on a dark linen-covered table: a stack of sepia-toned archival photographs of early Black families in the Great Migration era (faces turned away or out of frame), a worn leather-bound ledger labeled “Freedmen Records,” and a folded map marked with migration routes leading to the Summit Lake area. Behind them, a subtle backdrop of vintage legal documents and land deeds is softly blurred. Warm directional studio lighting from the left creates gentle highlights on the paper textures and faint shadows along the table folds. Photographic realism, captured at a low, museum-style angle with a moderate depth of field, conveying reverence, cultural preservation, and the weight of documented history.

Leila Haddad