The Cleveland Commission on Black Women and Girls is looking to fill five vacancies on the board. As Signal Cleveland reported in February, the commission was established after Cleveland was ranked one of the worst places for Black women to live in a 2020 CityLab Liveable Index Study.
The role of the 12 commission members is to guide the administration on programs and legislation that would help improve the quality of life for Black women and their families. Members of the commission come from diverse backgrounds, with the hopes of bringing in different perspectives to help shape the future for Black women in Cleveland.
The current openings are calling for the following demographics:
- Two Black students ages 11 to 17
- One Black woman representing higher education
- One Black woman representing a labor union
- One Black woman in college
Commissioners must be residents of Cleveland, exemplify strong leadership and teamwork skills and be dedicated to the improvement of the community. To see other requirements, go here.
‘Your experience matters’
Dameyonna Willis is currently a member of the commission. She is the founder and executive director of QueenIAM, a non-profit that focuses on the empowerment of young Black girls. Willis represents the grassroots organization board seat.
“I’m a Black woman who works with young Black girls every day. I see the challenges they are facing in education, healthcare and so many other things,” Willis said. “It was important for me to join the commission to help amplify the voices of the young girls I serve and all the young girls of Cleveland whose voices are not always heard.”
Willis will serve on the board until 2027. She said she has found joy in the listening sessions that the commission has been hosting.
“I really enjoy our listening sessions that we have had with the community,” Willis said. “Being able to share our stories about life in Cleveland and offering each other reassurance and support is really special. The community is holding us accountable, so we want to show them that we are here to offer you something better than what has been offered before.”
The commission has yet to have all board positions filled. Willis believes that is due to the public not knowing exactly what the role of the commission is and a lack of awareness of the roles that are currently open.
“I’ve talked to some people who didn’t even know the commission existed and had no idea about the work we are doing,” Willis said. “We haven’t done too much advertising about the open vacancies either, so hopefully we will see an uptick in applicants soon.”
Willis encourages Black women and girls in Cleveland to attend a listening session or, if they feel so inclined, to apply to become a board member.
“I don’t want any Black women or girls out there to feel like they aren’t qualified enough just because they may not come from a privileged background,” Willis said. “No matter where you come from, your experience matters. Your story matters. Your voice is valuable. Come to a listening session or one of our general meetings (Dec. 18 at City Hall) to get a feel for things, and if you like what you see, apply to become a commissioner.”
To apply for the Black Women and Girls Commission, click here.
The next meeting of the commission will be at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18, in City Hall Room 514 (click here to join online). For more information on the commission, click here.