Councilmember Meeka D. Owens on Climate Change and Green Sustainability in Cincinnati
Councilmember Meeka D. Owens on Climate Change and Green Sustainability in Cincinnati

In December 2021, after the city council and mayoral elections, it was announced that a new committee would be tackling climate change in our city: the Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, with Councilmember Meeka D. Owens as its chair.

When I sat down with Councilmember Owens, it was clear that she is passionate and knowledgeable about the environmental issues we are all having to face – but beyond that, she is hopeful. She has faith in our people coming together. She sees light in Cincinnati’s future.

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April 2022, Outreach + Advocacy, PoliticsOlivia TaylorCommunity Mix, Celebrate Black Stories
Anne Saker: The Role of a Servant of the People
Anne Saker: The Role of a Servant of the People

Anne Saker is a firecracker of a woman. In her line of work, you have to be. A self-proclaimed “servant of the people,” Anne has taken her role as a journalist with great pride and even greater dedication. She’s had an expansive career from North Carolina, to Portland, to Cincinnati. It was in Cincinnati that she chose to finish her years as an active journalist at the Enquirer.

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April 2022, Arts + Culture, Outreach + AdvocacyEmma SegrestCommunity Mix
Annie Ruth: Learning with Art
Annie Ruth: Learning with Art

The best way to describe Annie Ruth is as a bright ray of sunlight on a foggy, hazy day. When she walks into a room, her spirit is a reminder of hope and positivity. She brings her authentic self forward and hopes to inspire others to do the same. Not only is Annie a talented artist and educator, but she's full of compassion and wisdom, and her enthusiasm for life is truly contagious. Even after many difficult obstacles in her path, she’s living proof that strength and determination can move mountains.

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Education, Arts + CultureKelsey GrahamFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories
Nancy Miller: Let's Talk About Mental Health
Nancy Miller: Let's Talk About Mental Health

One in five teens and adults suffer from mental illness. We connected with Nancy Miller over Zoom in early February to learn about her journey to founding 1N5, an organization focused on making a difference in how we talk about mental health. Knowledgeable and passionate, Nancy shared how thoughtful conversation and early education can help eliminate the stigma around mental illness and allow people to get the help they need. We were struck by how many programs she has helped create in Cincinnati to educate about mental health, open the way for conversations about mental health, and provide a community for those impacted by mental illness.

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Health + Wellness, Outreach + AdvocacyMelanie SchmidFeatures
In Conversation: Kersha Deibel of Planned Parenthood on Community Health and Bridging Gaps
In Conversation: Kersha Deibel of Planned Parenthood on Community Health and Bridging Gaps

Recently, I sat down and talked with Kersha at P.P.S.W.O. to get a glimpse into life at the clinic.

Kersha has been invested in Planned Parenthood in a variety of roles for 16 years. She was a patient, then volunteer, intern, and became an employee of Planned Parenthood’s national office. She led the political and advocacy teams and eventually became the president and C.E.O at P.P.S.W.O. Her motivation comes from ensuring access to quality healthcare for all, allowing our community to reach its full potential.

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March 2022, Outreach + AdvocacyMichael CotrellCommunity Mix, Celebrate Black Stories
Celebrate Women History Month 2022 with These Local Events
Celebrate Women History Month 2022 with These Local Events

March is here, and with it, the promise of spring and warm weather – it’s also time for Women's History Month!

Each Women’s History Month provides a unique opportunity to celebrate the contribution that women in our community, and around the world, have made throughout history and today. Women, especially women of color, have historically been kept from the conversation, and their contributions and talent are buried or overlooked.

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March 2022, Around TownWomen of Cincy StaffCommunity Mix
The Second Adolescence of Dr. Nicole Avant
The Second Adolescence of Dr. Nicole Avant

Dr. Nicole Avant carries titles familiar to many women: mother, sister, daughter, caretaker, provider, business owner, employee, teacher, professor… But, now at age 42, she’s learning to define herself outside these roles. In our recent conversation, Nicole shared how she’s taking the time now to find and love herself. She’s breaking free from the confines of productivity, structural inequality, and capitalism to build a life centered on joy – and she wants more women to do the same.

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Arts + Culture, Health + Wellness, Outreach + AdvocacyMichaela RawsthornFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories
Aiesha Little: Making Space for Whimsy
Aiesha Little: Making Space for Whimsy

Aiesha Little is a professional writer and editor, the founder of the Midwest Black Speculative Fiction Alliance, and, in a whimsical twist, the ‘mechanic’ of the steampunk-focused cosplay group Airship Ashanti. Before I met her, I suspected she was creative and fun – and those suspicions proved wholly accurate in the course of our interview. I walked away thinking how crucial it is to find and make spaces for joy in our lives.

Over a Zoom conversation in January, we talked about her entry to cosplay, her creative interests, and the ways she’s made space for them. Photos were taken at Tillie’s Lounge in Northside.

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Arts + Culture, FeaturesSuzanne WilderFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories
On Second Thought: Tia Rochelle on Reaching the Next Level and Building Your Own Table
On Second Thought: Tia Rochelle on Reaching the Next Level and Building Your Own Table

When we first met with Tia Rochelle, it was the beginning of 2020, just before all of our worlds upended. On the very last day of 2021, I spoke with Tia and we were at the height of the pandemic, unsure if things would ever return to “normal.”

Tia will tell you herself that when Women of Cincy first interviewed her, she wasn’t exactly sure where her business, JahniSpot, was heading. She was adjusting to being an entrepreneur, balancing work and home, and ensuring her family was secure even though she was taking a risk.

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February 2022, Entrepreneurship, On Second ThoughtOlivia TaylorCommunity Mix, Celebrate Black Stories
Doris Thomas: Faith, Strength, and Never the Less
Doris Thomas: Faith, Strength, and Never the Less

Walking into Never the Less, a faith-based nonprofit organization that provides programs for fourth- through eleventh-grade girls in the tri-state area, is a lot like walking into a church: the atmosphere is welcoming and bright; in lieu of stained glass, beautiful paintings and prints depicting strong women decorate the walls; and at the center of it all, one can only approach the equivalent of a preacher – founder Ms. Doris Thomas – with a sense of joyful reverence. Working through her faith and the footprints of the women who showed her the way, Ms. Doris talked to us at Never the Less’ new location about her faith, her accomplishments, and her hopes to come.

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Features, Outreach + AdvocacyBlaire BartishFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories
Thirty Days of Giving. Thirty Days of Stories.
Thirty Days of Giving. Thirty Days of Stories.

We know that the past two years have been rough for everyone – us included. But, we’re still here and the need to create more empathy and connection across our communities is growing. Centering diverse voices through story is how we begin to break down barriers and local stories are important vehicles in which we can learn from one another and create change in our communities.

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Announcements, Around Town, Meet the TeamWomen of Cincy StaffFeatures, Community Mix
Lauren White on Building Community Connections and the Dark Side of the Moon
Lauren White on Building Community Connections and the Dark Side of the Moon

Huddled in Clifton’s Sitwells Coffeehouse, we sat down with author and community leader, Lauren White. The coffee shop is just a short drive from the University of Cincinnati (U.C.), where Lauren received her bachelor’s degree, is working on her master’s, and is a current employee. She’s made the most of the opportunities U.C. provides to create change for students and youth across Cincinnati. A published poet, Lauren wrote a book of poetry sharing the untold stories of Black women that she hopes will help encourage and inspire anyone who reads it.

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Education, Arts + CultureMichaela RawsthornFeatures, Celebrate Black Stories