Wed 3/8 @11:30AM
It’s no secret to anyone living on Cuyahoga County’s east side who’s involved in politics or government that Black women are the ones getting it done. Living in Cleveland Heights, I was represented in Congress and the state legislature only by Black women for more than 20 years, a long list of accomplished kick-ass advocates. (I now have a white male state senator but he’s great: luckily the gerrymanderers didn’t figure out a way to draw us into the district of some Jim Jordan wannabe.)
So the City Club forum “Rising Political Power of Black Women” isn’t going to surprise many people around here so maybe it’s sold out as more of a celebration.It features three Black mayors of Cuyahoga County cities, two of whom just assumed the job last year.
Gigi Traore became mayor of Newburgh Heights last spring after serving on city council when the previous mayor resigned due to scandal. She was tasked with rebuilding citizen confidence from the chaos that ensued. Businesswoman Annette Blackwell took over as mayor of Maple Heights in 2016, looking for practical solutions for a neglected city dealing with racial change.
And Kim Thomas, who was sworn in as mayor of Richmond Heights in January 2022, was an indicator of change in that city, helping lead it away from an all-white male city hall in a city that’s now almost evenly split between black and white residents.
As the promotion for this forum points out, Black women have always been doing the work, have always been the organizers and volunteers, but weren’t running for office themselves. Now they are — and these three women will explain why that’s a good thing.
While the forum is sold out as noted above, it will be livestreamed, starting at noon, on the City Club’s page. If you have questions, you can text 330-541-5794 or tweet @TheCityClub.
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