Did you know that Cleveland was rated as the WORST CITY in America for Black Women to live, work, learn and receive healthcare? If not, well now you do.
As a black woman who has lived in Cleveland her entire life (minus 4 years in Pittsburgh for college) this hit me hard! I promote Cleveland all day and all night long as a great place to live for everyone. This City Lab article made me reflect on the reality of my experiences over the years. I can honestly say I’ve faced my share of challenges in Cleveland, however- I have also found a tribe of black women who have overcome some of the same obstacles and have excelled right here in Cleveland. Those women have inspired me to keep going in-spite of the barriers we face as black women. I think that’s what makes this ranking appalling for the black women in Cleveland who are dedicated to creating a more equitable city. At the same time, it is also troubling for a region which is still attempting to gain economic and social equality in the 21st Century.
To change this, I am partnering with Enlightened Solutions to present “Project Noir” a research project focused on gaining insight and tangible knowledge from the experiences of Black Women in Cleveland. Together with The LGBT* Center of Greater Cleveland and research assistance from The Center for Community Solutions, they will study the lived experiences of Black Women in Cleveland, Ohio based on three livability metrics: health conditions, education and income/workplace status.
Enlightened Solutions is a workplace advocacy firm focused on researching, analyzing and amplifying the voices of marginalized individuals in the workplace. Founded by my amazing friends Chinenye (“ChiChi”) Nkemere and Bethany Studenic in 2018 after experiencing pervasive workplace issues like harassment and career stagnation – they resolved to found a space for others experiencing the same to gain resources, networking opportunities and support.
Courtney Covers Cleveland is proudly supporting “Project Noir” because it is not enough to publicize performative diversity and inclusion efforts. Cleveland has to do more… and Project Noir is doing more! Not only do we have to listen to black women sharing their experiences, but we have to act and implement change.
I’m personally asking every Black Woman in Cleveland to take this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/projectnoir the more women who take the survey, the more holistic the results will be. Share it with your friends and family so we can work together to make Cleveland a better place for all of us!
The survey will be open from Monday August 10th through Monday September 21st. The results will be published in a comprehensive report and used to create and publicize a pressure campaign with suggested best practices for local institutions to increase support for Black Women in Northeast Ohio.
Please help me spread the word!
Click here to take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/projectnoir
For more information about Enlightened Solutions visit: https://www.enlightened-solutions.com/our-story
*This is post is sponsored however the thoughts presented are all my personal beliefs
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