Life has changed just a bit for President Pro Tem of Cincinnati City Council Tamaya Dennard since we last talked with her in August 2017. During her campaign for City Council, she became famous for quoting Shirley Chisholm: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
A few weeks later, we walked down to City Hall on a hot day to catch up with Dennard on life at City Hall, the ups and the downs, and what the folding chair means to her today.
We’ve all been there. Something happens. An action. Mid conversation with a friend, you say something you find important. After the action, there is a reaction. Your friend briefly responds, and then changes topics. After the reaction is your perception of the reaction. You interpret your friend’s response as unsupportive or dismissive, that she’s uninterested. And then after the action, the reaction, and your perception come your thoughts.
This week was filled with beautiful music for the Women of Cincy team. We traveled to The Mercantile Library to watch the Salon 21 Season Finale performance and to Memorial Hall to join MUSE Cincinnati's Women's Choir in their 35th annual spring concert.
Read MoreWhen Kiersten asked Lindsay and me to write reflections about our experiences as editorial residents, I didn’t know what direction I wanted this piece to take. But the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I shouldn’t think at all. So here’s my stream of honest consciousness about the Women of Cincy residency.
I still don’t know if I was qualified to be one of the editorial residents this past spring, but I am beyond thankful that Kiersten and Chelsie thought I was. I learned more about myself and my passions than I ever thought I would, and got to meet some badass women along the way.
Read MoreBombASSbabes is a mini-series celebrating the tenacious broads of Cincinnati. The short films explore a sundry of hobbies, skills, and enthusiasms women choose to pour their creative energy into. Session 1 features Brooklynn Hansley, a singer with a voice that makes people stop in their tracks.
Read MoreWe sat down with Nia Baucke outside Clark Montessori in Hyde Park in March and kept our fingers crossed that it would be one of the rare sunny days of spring. It was a quiet morning as a nearby lacrosse practice was ending and we settled down on a bench to get our conversation started. It quickly became clear that the founder of Cypress Beauty was passionate about that project, but Nia refuses to be defined solely by her work.
Read MoreThis week’s Reported By Women brought us into the world of event planning, romance, and weddings as Women of Cincy traveled to Memorial Hall for the launch of Whitney Pelfrey’s new company, Iris & Honey. Iris & Honey is a wedding curator specializing in local romantic vignettes personalized for the most chill of Cincinnati couples.
Read MoreCan you believe summer is finally here? It feels like it was still snowing just a couple weeks ago. Oh wait, it was… But now the weather is nice, the birds are chirping, the pollen count is high, and our summer residents have arrived.
When we think neighborhood bar, we think friendly bartenders, comfy seating, and scrumptious libations. Queen City Radio checks all of those boxes, with the addition of retro charm, delicious grub, and a dedication to giving back. And did I mention the dog-friendly patios? What was once a gas station and garage has been renovated into a fun and lively hangout for Over-the-Rhine residents and visitors.
Read MoreLindsay and Emily walk in a few minutes later. I haven’t seen Emily since she’s been pregnant with Macie, a baby girl due in June. With a family like this one, full of powerhouse women, Macie is sure to grow up to be one fierce lady. We sit down and reminisce for a few minutes, and the conversation turns to another fierce lady: Lindsay and Emily’s mom, Dr. Sandra Combs.
Read MoreThe Patterson family is a tribe of women unlike any I’ve ever met. The bond between the six fierce sisters makes it clear to any outsider that to these women, family always has and always will come first. It’s a loud family full of big feelings, big opinions, and big love, and at the head of it all is Patricia Patterson, a matriarch in the truest sense of the word. I met Dr. Sandra Combs at Roebling Point Books & Coffee on a rainy Sunday, laughing at times, tearing up at others, as she talked about the mother that made her family what it is today.
I’m overjoyed to see Dr. Sandra Combs walk through the door of Roebling Point Books & Coffee on a rainy Sunday morning in February. I’m good friends with her whole vivacious family, and while she stands in line for a large coffee, we gush about her daughter Emily, who just found out she’ll be having a baby girl this June. We make our way to the comfy armchairs in the next room, and as she begins to tell me about her journey – sharing her gift as a speech pathologist, finding a home in Covington, and more – her bracelets jingle like a soundtrack to her words.
Read MoreWhether it be through music or civic leadership, our team was able to experience a wonderful week in Cincinnati. Check out the happenings of the week reported by our team below.
Read MoreFive years. That’s how long I’ve celebrated Mother’s Day with a baby-shaped hole in my heart. My arms have endured countless blood draws; my fingers have cramped from filling out piles of paperwork; and my hands have been thrown up in the air from complete exhaustion and anger more times than I am proud to admit. My arms are empty, and this year, I celebrate with a heart that aches deeply yet overflows with joy and hope.
Read MoreAngelica greets us with a smile and a toddler on her hip. The little boy, who I later find out is named David, keeps tapping her cheek as we climb up the stairs. I marvel at her ability to balance the active toddler and climb three flights of steps. Her journey to the U.S. began 16 years ago, and if one thing stands out among those 16 years, it’s the moments of family she’s experienced.
Read MoreRachel began her career in geriatric care at Glen Manor Home for the Aged in Bond Hill. She has a master’s degree in health and human services and is a licensed nursing home administrator, but she will tell you that her best experience – where she learned the most about aging – was working in Israel and the Chicago Housing Authority. Today, Rachel works for Queen City Home Care as a geriatric care manager and marketing coordinator, crediting her long career to the many seniors who have touched her life over 25 years. She’s a huge piece of the stories of innumerable seniors throughout Cincinnati.
Read MoreFrom those first steps to that first heartbreak to the first moment we master a generation-old family recipe, mothers have been through it all. Our relationships with our mothers vary: whether we can’t get enough of their advice and support, or sometimes it feels like we have too much of it, moms continue to shape the stage that we dance upon.
Read MoreThere is so much to celebrate in the spring – from moms and dads to college grads, to birthdays and holidays and summer looming just around the corner. That is why we are delighted to share with you our first ever Women of Cincy Gift Guide, where we’ll showcase a seasonal roundup of goods and experiences either made or sold by local women-owned businesses.
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