Jan. 28: Cleveland Commission on Black Women and Girls
Covered by Documenter Kellie Morris (notes)
Black women in Greater Cleveland are generally no better off now than they were in 2020. They still experience many of the same barriers in healthcare, education and the workplace. That’s the key finding from a survey presented at the Jan. 28 meeting of the Cleveland Commission on Black Women and Girls.
Cleveland was ranked one of the worst places for Black women to live by a 2020 City Lab Livable Index study.
Enlightened Solutions, a local nonprofit and research advocacy firm, conducted the survey, called Project Noir 2024. The survey expanded on a similar effort in 2021 by gathering 1,324 responses from Black women across Northeast Ohio from diverse backgrounds.
Co-founders of Enlightened Solutions, Chinenye Nkemere and Bethany Studenic, released the report at the end of last year and presented it to the commission and community members who attended the January meeting.
Mayor Justin Bibb and City Council established the commission in 2022 to suggest programs and legislation that would benefit Black families.
The three main areas of focus on the survey were workplaces, healthcare and education.
Workplaces: ‘A starkly different reality’
“In Cleveland, where economic statistics often paint a rosy picture, of post-Covid growth, the experiences of Black women in the workplace reveal a starkly different reality,” the report stated.
Project Noir found that Black women frequently encounter workplace sabotage, harmful office gossip and a lack of professional development.
Some other notable workplace findings included that 79% of respondents were paid less than others in a similar position; 77% felt they have been micromanaged or that their work was unfairly critiqued, and 71% were passed over for a job promotion.
Black women surveyed also reported that they have often heard phrases like “DEI hire,” “you’re articulate for a Black woman” or “you’re too aggressive.”
Nkemere said the rise in remote work has improved the mental health of Black women across the board.
Healthcare: ‘Some of the worst health outcomes in the nation’
Black women surveyed reported dismissive attitudes towards patient questions and concerns or a profound lack of empathy.
“Northeast Ohio healthcare systems hyper-focus on weight, sexuality and reproduction, often neglecting other critical or chronic needs,” the report stated.
Other survey findings discovered that 56% of respondents have been spoken down to about their health symptoms. Some 55% said they have felt uncomfortable with their healthcare provider, and 40% said the healthcare staff’s body language made them uncomfortable.
The report also said that disparities in health outcomes between Black and white women cannot be explained away by economic factors.
“Black women of means, class and education in Northeast Ohio experience some of the worst health outcomes in the nation when being treated in traditional healthcare systems,” according to the report.
Education: Excluded, belittled and discouraged
The survey continued with Black women reporting that they face microaggressions from fellow peers and educators.
A reported 63% felt they needed to work harder to get the same grades as fellow students. Meanwhile, 54% felt excluded from professional development and educational advancement opportunities while 49% cited being steered into entry-level positions rather than being urged to chase their passions.
“A professor in college told me I wasn’t good enough to be an engineer,” said one survey respondent. Another said, “My startup business was belittled and called ridiculous by my professor in front of my peers at a college — which led me to shelve it immediately.”
Handing over the mic for questions and answers
The commission invited nine members of Motivated and Empowered Inc., a nonprofit that supports young people, to sit at the table with the commissioners during the Q & A period at the City Hall meeting. Audience members asked questions before the mic was turned over to the girls of Motivated and Empowered Inc.
They thanked the presenters for their work and shared some of their own experiences. One participant talked about how she has struggled with anxiety and has had suicidal thoughts at times.
The commission’s next proposed listening session is March 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at City Hall. The meetings and listening sessions are open to the public.
View the full meeting and presentation:
Read Documenter Kellie Morris’ notes from the meeting:
