With his Afro deftly coiffed and his wide collar boogying, Charles See projected cool on the curb outside Friendly Inn Settlement house in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood. The 26-year-old youth director, backed by his boss David Phoenix, offered the same advice to 14-year-old Daniel Johnson that he gave to countless teens: Realize your potential, and avoid drugs and illegal activities.
“We did some counseling with him,” recalls See. “He was one of many youngsters that we were working with.”
Friendly Inn was an early stopover in See’s storied career. Before Friendly Inn, he directed the Mount Pleasant drop-in center, part of Carl Stokes’ Cleveland Now program. After Friendly Inn, See worked for the Cleveland school district amid desegregation. Then, in 1973, he went on to Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, where he helped pioneer community re-entry programs for the formerly incarcerated.
After 44 years with Lutheran Ministries, the 72-year-old See retired last March, although he still bustles around the community with the Cleveland Police Monitoring Team. Since the 1970s, only one thing has changed.
“My daughter got married. I asked her, ‘Baby, what do you want for your wedding present?’ She said, ‘Can I get anything?’ I said, ‘Well, you can get anything I got,’ ” says See. “She said, ‘Daddy, cut your hair.’ ”
1972: Charles See Looks Back On His Storied Career
The 72-year-old retired last March but is still active in the community.
