This article is opinion-based by Brown on Cleveland.
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Cleveland, OH. - The City of Cleveland, Ohio, is a racially diverse town. Currently, the city is led by a Black Mayor (Justin Bibb), a Black City Council President (Blaine Griffin), a Black Interim Chief of Police (Wayne Drummond), and seventeen council members: eight Blacks, eight Whites, and one Hispanic.
As we examine the sexual orientation of council members, there are five women and twelve men. Out of the women: two Blacks (Stephanie Howse and Deborah Gray), two Whites (Jenny Spencer and Rebecca Maurer), and one Hispanic (Jasmine Santana) woman are on the city council.
According to the 2020 census, there are approximately 383 331 residents in the City of Cleveland. All 383,331 are not black. According to the 2019 census estimate, Cleveland's ethnic and racial composition was 40% white (33.8% non-Hispanic white), 48.8% African American (non-Hispanic), 0.5% Native American, 2.6% Asian, and 4.4% from two or more races. It also reports that 52% of the population is women.
During his first State of the City Address, Mayor Justin Bibb stated that he would employ a Commission for Black Women and an advisory group to deal with this population's issues. Immediately afterward, Councilwoman Stephanie Howse, a black councilwoman and former House Representative of Ohio, took the initiative to sponsor and introduce legislation supporting Bibb's plan. Howse, in an interview, tells TV 19news, "Cleveland is now focusing on black women and girls; we are the backbone of this community. Having an opportunity from the Council and the Mayor coming together not just talking about it but being about it intentionally and unapologetic, that's exciting for me," said Howse. Councilwoman Deborah Gray, also black, jumped on board as a co-sponsor.
A January 2020 report by Bloomberg.com noted inequities experienced by black women compared to white men. The article talks about finances, opportunities, and education. According to this report, the Mid-West is not a good place where black women can thrive. Brentin Mock, the author, reports that the stark inequities between white men and black women are felt everywhere in the U.S., and no region feels that worse than the Midwest, where the metros with the most prominent black women populations consistently show up as among the worst for those women. Pittsburgh and Cleveland duke it out at the bottom of the rankings for health, educational, and overall outcomes. The only exception is the ranking for economic effects, for which Cleveland is edged out by Milwaukee, with Pittsburgh rounding out the gutter as third worst," Mock wrote.
The City of Cleveland, for the last 16 years, had a Black Mayor (Frank G. Jackson), a Black Police Chief (Calvin Williams), and a White City Council President (Kevin J. Kelley). Before Mayor Jackson, there was a White Woman Mayor (Jane L. Campbell). Before Mayor Campbell, a Black man served as Mayor (Michael R. White). Cleveland has had its time to improve the conditions of Black women and the inequities of these demographics. Howse's merit that supporting the plight of the Black woman is essential to the growth of the region. Looking at the data from Bloomberg, the research argues that black women are unsuccessful in this region compared to others.
Are the results of Bloomberg attributed to individuals in the decision-making position?
Historically, the women's rights movement, also called the women's liberation movement, was a diverse entity that sought equal rights and opportunities and greater personal freedom for all women.
Rather than creating strain amongst residents and stakeholders by inflicting the race card, it would be significant to uplift and support all women. Cleveland Legislatures should propose a Women Commission and leave race out of the equation.
Cleveland City Council must be careful about driving the race card. If it is okay for one race of people, the city council must be calm when others sponsor similar legislation.
It will be interesting to watch the decision made by Bibb's administration and the Cleveland City Council and how they will set the example to begin a new era of helping elevate black women's finances, careers, safety, and health conditions. If city leaders are sincere about advancing black women, the city's employees should be a reflection. Talk is cheap, but action is meaningful.
Let's see if city officials will act with due diligence as they did with the cry of declaring racism as a public health crisis. The declaration appears to have been a political ploy to garner media attention, nothing more and nothing less. Let's see if this subject matter will resonate with similarities.
This article is an op-ed by Brown on Cleveland. Kimberly F. Brown is the managing partner for Doveside Promotions LLC. Brown is an occasional guest on National FOX NEWS, Cleveland's Local News, and a former radio personality and talk show host. Readers can email Brown on Cleveland at thebrownreport@outlook.com.
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