Earlier this summer, we checked in with Julie Leftwich LeMaster, co-founder of the Immigrant & Refugee Law Center based out of Roberts Paideia Academy. With immigration and asylum seekers being a hot button issue right now, the I.R.L.C. is growing exponentially as the need for immigrant and refugee services increases. Julie’s story was so inspiring we decided to extend it and show our readers why she is one of Cincinnati’s most badass legal women.
Read MoreRodney Christian grew up in East Westwood – to be frank, one of Cincinnati’s most struggling communities. Even as a kid, he was a leader, but he didn’t know it. One day a friend shined a light on Rodney’s gift of community and relationship building. He encouraged Rodney to help him open a basketball gym so the kids in their community had a safe place to spend their time. Today, Rodney manages a recreation center at Third Presbyterian Church in the heart of East Westwood. It’s open seven days a week, and there’s always an open door for the kids who need it.
Read More“Do you see this? It says, ‘Breathe.’ That’s my mantra.”
Tamara Harkavy leaned in to show me her gold necklace. Though I see her almost every day in my role as ArtWorks’ executive assistant and office manager, I’d never noticed it. The message is fitting. Nearly 24 years ago, Harkavy founded ArtWorks, the nonprofit responsible for over 12,000 projects that have turned the greater Cincinnati area into an art gallery. Not to mention the businesses which have become staples to our city who went through business development training through ArtWorks, like Brown Bear Bakery, Handzy, and S.R.O. Prints. She’s also a star player on the creative team organizing BLINK. It’s a hefty load.
Read MoreSusan Casey-Leininger has done it all – from working with Americorps to fundraising for the African Leaders Malaria Alliance to living and working in East Africa. Today, as the executive director of Village Life, Susan personifies the word “adventurous.” As shown in her work, Susan is passionate about cultural immersion and the benefits – as a community, society, and world – of learning about each others’ differences. Her various travels and work experiences have given her a unique and valuable perspective on fostering change both inside and outside of Cincinnati.
Read MoreFor those of us born with a fascination with fashion, the shirts on our backs are about more than function. What we choose to wear can be a source of confidence, a way to tell someone passing by a little bit about who we are – even what we stand for. And on a rainy summer evening, I scurried down Vine Street with my deteriorating cat-ear umbrella to meet Cincinnati’s rising style icon and nationally recognized designer, Tessa Clark.
Read MoreWriting for Women of Cincy has given me the opportunity to meet and share stories with influencers and change-makers throughout Cincinnati. I usually walk away from my interviews feeling inspired, but Kick Lee is quite possibly the coolest person I never knew I needed to meet. He’s created a career and a lifestyle based around helping others achieve their dreams. As the founder of the Cincinnati Music Accelerator, he’s helping local musicians realize their worth as artists and discover how to take control of their own careers.
Read MoreMy favorite part about moving to a new city is discovering the gems that stud the marketplace. I find so much joy in gawking over the perfectly curated shops, chock full of local, handmade goods, and the community of makers and doers that surround them. Cincinnati continues to reveal hidden treasures, and I’ve only brushed the surface. To me, there’s nothing better than being someplace full of people dedicated to pumping life back into their city.
Read MoreDo I think sex is something to start shouting about from the rooftops? No. I do like keeping the mystery alive in a lot of aspects. However, I think breaking the negative parts of the sex stigma starts with you. Yes! You. You, me, and sex education.
Read MoreWhen we first walked into the basement of the Third Presbyterian Church, we were greeted by a hallway gallery of framed photographs and newspaper clippings. Photographs of wrestlers, basketball players, and football players hung on the wall – all of whom once came to this church for the same reason children go there today: for guidance, homework help, crafts, cooking, games, and more. It is a space full of life, bustling with kids ranging in age from 5 to 20.
Read MoreOn Saturday, July 20, German synth-pop, punk rock of England, and New York's new wave converged within these hallowed walls nestled on the Kentucky border. Southgate House subjected Newport to the sound of women's rage and freedom with Noir: A Celebration of Female Artists.
Read More“I think it’s hard for a lot of white men to embrace what we’re trying to do. It’s difficult for them to bring to the surface some of the difficult topics and hard dialogue to have with your peers and superiors in and out of the workplace. I personally feel that it’s very much about owning some of the responsibility. Looking at it as, ‘it’s not my fault that there are inequalities, but it is our responsibility to be a part of helping to resolve some of that.’ You have to do more; you have to take action. We like to joke that watching documentaries on Netflix that’ll inform you ain’t gonna help.”
Monique Gilliam – mom of four, change-maker, mentor, advocate, and more – requested that we meet her at Findlay Market for our conversation. It was a peaceful Tuesday evening, and the weather was more than agreeable. She arrived with open arms, flashing her bright smile. She was rocking a gray O.T.R. T-shirt that listed the street names that she knows all too well.
Read MoreThis article – a response to our open-ended group project assignment as Women of Cincy residents – was a complex undertaking, but we find these perspectives are a necessary part of the broader conversation of abortion in America. Abortion is a complicated issue with deeply emotional stakes, and the fate of Roe v. Wade could be determined in our backyard. The recent coverage of this issue has been lacking the voices of Ohioans and we want to change that.
Read MoreLast time we talked to Suzy Strachan, she and business partner and friend, Brittney Braemer, told us about themselves, their origin story, and their hopes for moving Handzy into a new space. Fast-forward to late 2018, Suzy shared with us the details of their move and the bliss of living in Covington.
Read More“I always talk about feeling less safe in Cincinnati than I ever have anywhere else when it comes to employment,” she said. “It never crossed my mind when I was living in Los Angeles that I would be discriminated against for being gay, whereas when I'm here, I feel like it’s a possibility at every turn.”
Read MoreHouse gave an overview of Cincinnati’s homeless population and how people can get involved in providing assistance. She closed her presentation with a quote from one of her favorite Batman characters, Commissioner Gordon, “You’re going to make a difference. A lot of times it won’t be huge, it won’t be visible even. But it will matter just the same.”
Read MoreI work from home with part-time childcare, and had been struggling more and more with balancing my emotional labor (aka “invisible work”) with my professional and personal life. This struggle is certainly not unique to me – many women find it difficult to manage their time as they are constantly bouncing from role to role, task to task.
Read MoreWomen of Cincy began on a whim on January 20, 2017, to document stories from the Cincinnati Women’s March. Five 20-somethings pulled together a few cameras, recorders, and an Instagram account the morning of the march. We had no idea what we were creating, or just how far it would take us.
This summer, we’re taking a moment to look back at that day and celebrate how far we’ve come, and then to share our vision for this movement going forward.
Read MoreAt this year’s Pride parade and festival, we asked Cincinnatians to tell us what brought them to Pride, the L.G.B.T.Q. folks that inspire them, and what the word “pride” means to each of them. They responded with poignant reflections on their personal journeys with L.G.B.T.Q. acceptance and the history of pride in Cincinnati.
Read More“We wanted people to be able to thrive more quickly. I think surviving means holistically being able to find yourself in the chaos of a life that maybe you didn’t expect and no one would wish on anyone. ‘Thrive’ encompasses not only the individual or family unit of refugees, but also that the greater community wants Cincinnati to thrive.”
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