Diversity + Inclusion
From a dynamic duo bringing back Glenville to a Sudanese designer working on a welcome center for Irishtown Bend, these artists are changing the city's creative landscape.
For the last two decades, Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood has been master planning for a renaissance—and now its golden age is in sight. With an ideal location on the $331 million Opportunity Corridor and an array of developments and initiatives coming to fruition, the area is preparing to round the bend on a four-pronged Strategic Investment Plan that began in 2008.
In Cuyahoga County, the infant mortality rate for African-American babies is 15.1 per every 1,000 live births, compared to 3.8 for white babies. In other words, Cleveland's black babies are approximately four times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies.
MetroHealth recently announced an investment of $60 million to construct three new buildings housing 250 apartments—along with community-centered amenities including a grocery store, job training center, childcare facilities, and more—near its main campus.
Samuel Paredes was 16 years old when he secretly applied for a U.S. visa. His parents had just gotten divorced, and he was still living in Ipiales, a city of 160,000 on the southern border of Colombia. Shortly after the death of his grandmother, he expressed to his mother and father his desire to study cybersecurity—born from witnessing political upheaval—at an American college.
The women come from a variety of backgrounds. Some work in factories or grocery chains, others as school lunch ladies, making $8 to $9 an hour. Others are Hurricane Maria refugees who work for Burlington, some for U.S. Cotton, supporting families as they tilt on the poverty line.
All have one thing in common: the dream to one day be registered nurses.
All have one thing in common: the dream to one day be registered nurses.
You likely know the unelected, unsung leaders in your community. They’re the ones volunteering at local events, spreading the word in online neighborhood groups, leading grassroots initiatives, and giving voice to residents who might not otherwise have one. But what you—and they—might not know is that there’s a free program dedicated to helping them harness their superpowers and make even more of an impact.
On the heels of Pride in the CLE, good news out of Gordon Square: after 20 years of operating out of a 5,000-square-foot basement at 6600 Detroit Ave., the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland is ready to move into a prominent, custom-designed and -built, and proud new home across the street at 6705 Detroit.
They say one never forgets how to ride a bike—and if the freewheeling folks taking part in Silver Spokes are any indication, it’s 100 percent true.
If she could afford a car, Antaneshia Fletcher could drive to her job at Bloom Bakery in less than 20 minutes. Instead, she rises at 4:30 am every day so she can spend two hours taking the two bus routes necessary to travel from her home in Euclid to the store near the Cleveland State University campus by 6:30 am.
When Ebony Naylor received her cosmetology license two years ago, she figured she’d mark the achievement by herself. The eight women who had mentored her for a year had other ideas.
As a member of the South Dakota-based Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, lifelong Clevelander, and chairperson of the Lake Erie Native American Council (LENAC), Marlys Rambeau is accustomed to area organizations approaching her when they need a Native American to play a role in a theatrical production, but she says people usually just want someone who can play a stereotypical part. They’re not always interested in depicting the true Native American cultural story.
Cleveland’s feminist chorus, Windsong, is celebrating an anniversary almost as old as modern-day feminism itself. This little-known cultural gem began 40 years ago with just a few members and has grown into a thriving arts mainstay since becoming official in 2002.
Your spirits will be instantly uplifted within mere seconds of sitting down with Karen McAlpine. The 38-year-old mother of three radiates a positive energy that is no less than supremely infectious. Currently, McAlpine is seeking an opportunity to channel her gift of an inspiring personality into a career where she can help people, make a difference, and somehow give back. Her ever-present smile only falters when she reflects on her experiences trying to secure such a job.
From its perch atop a hill in Shaker Square-Buckeye, the Benjamin Rose Institute for Aging boasts an expansive view of Cleveland and its skyline that makes it easy to feel like anything is possible—and that was exactly the vibe at the conclusion of the Early Childhood Equity Forum, held there last Friday, April 12.
After going dark last summer, Night Market Cleveland returns to Rockwell Avenue and E. 21st St. on Friday, June 21, for an all-new season of food, music, and family entertainment—and even more opportunities for visitors and locals alike to get to know this small, often insular, community.
When Kent Whitley talks about environmental issues, he doesn’t start with words like “sustainability” or terms like “carbon footprint."
“It’s so hard to talk with these big words. You have to go to the dictionary,” he says with a laugh.
Instead he brings the issues down to earth, to air, and to water.
“I say, ‘The lake is dirty...and it’s affecting you.’”
That kind of bluntness is how Whitley and others plan to convince African Americans that they have a stake in environmental policy.
“It’s so hard to talk with these big words. You have to go to the dictionary,” he says with a laugh.
Instead he brings the issues down to earth, to air, and to water.
“I say, ‘The lake is dirty...and it’s affecting you.’”
That kind of bluntness is how Whitley and others plan to convince African Americans that they have a stake in environmental policy.
Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz is quoted as saying, “The only sustainable prosperity is shared prosperity.” Northeast Ohio still has a long way to go on that front, though the region is working diligently to decrease the gap. FreshWater's new "CLE Means We: Advancing Equity and Inclusion in Cleveland" series will highlight innovative programs and emerging leaders driving equity and inclusion in Cleveland. Click here to learn more about it.
When Lakewood resident Katie Tackett started her Muse Room podcast in late 2018, fellow podcaster Katie Dalebout shared some sage wisdom: “Podcasting is the new networking.” This assertion rings true for just about every podcaster—affording the chance to curate a dream lineup of interviewees—and we listeners get to go along for the ride.
Though minority business owners comprise just 29 percent of the overall economy, minority restaurateurs make up 40 percent of that sector—with that number steadily rising. Cleveland’s own culinary scene has also made strides in supporting minority food business owners, with Latino Restaurant Week and Quicken Loans Arena's Launch Test Kitchen. A new dinner series, Culture.CLE, is the newest local initiative aimed at bringing Cleveland’s ethnic restaurateurs to the forefront.