Project Noir CLE: Cleveland, Ohio is Failing Black Women
Cleveland ranks dead last as a livable city for Black Women.
In early 2020, right before the Covid-19 pandemic began, and racial unrest became a national conversation, Brentin Mock of Bloomberg City Lab publicized a ranking of American cities based on livability metrics for Black Women. Cleveland ranked dead last.
Enlightened Solutions believes that since Cleveland is an epicenter of inequality in America, this is the best place to create solutions.
By centering Black Women, we are focusing on the most marginalized individuals in our region.
Continued systemic marginalization will have catastrophic sustainability, socio-economic and environmental consequences for our region. Inclusion of Black Women within all industries is the key to our interconnected futures.
Project Noir is not designed to prove or disprove disparate treatment of Black Women.
The script of harassment, discrimination and alienation Black Women are subjected to in Cleveland, is often predictable.
We cannot fix this problem if we continue to refuse to look at it directly. The stories that follow are not easy to hear. There are stories of assault, medical malpractice, dismissal, termination, exclusion, harassment, and targeted mistreatment. We designed this project to center the voices of Black Women. We encouraged opportunities to connect to counseling, additional conversations, and advocacy services to every woman we spoke to.
Project Noir: The Final Report
Our final report is split into three major areas of discussion and inequality: Workplaces, Healthcare, and Education to correspond with the CityLab/Bloomberg article.
Workplaces
The Industrial Midwest is known for strong work ethic, entrepreneurial grit, and neighborly spirit — but Black Women are routinely denied the opportunity to gain access and influence within the workplace.
Healthcare
Cleveland boasts three internationally renowned healthcare hubs, but Black Women living next door to major anchor institutions suffer from poor healthcare access, experiences and are dying at alarming and preventable rates.
Education
Our higher education institutions attract scholars discussing social justice, yet inside those classrooms, Black Women are conspicuously underrepresented and marginalized.
“Project Noir by Enlightened Solutions” The Podcast
We surveyed and interviewed 450+ Black Women in Northeast Ohio, about their experiences in the workplace, navigating healthcare systems and within educational institutions.
- “Project Noir by Enlightened Solutions” is a short, anonymous re-recording of select interviews of survey participants.
- Search “Project Noir by Enlightened Solutions” or click here for Spotify, Google or Apple Podcasts.
- The podcast is split into three seasons: workplaces, healthcare and education. You can listen to all clips at once, or listen to a particular section at a time.
Cleveland’s abysmal metrics paint a picture of stark inequity, but they fail to answer the two most obvious questions:
- As a Black Woman, what is it like to live in a city that experts agree is the worst place for you?
- How can individuals and anchor institutions create tangible solutions?
If you are ready to stand with Black Women in Cleveland and join Enlightened Solutions —
What are you waiting for?
Head to projectnoircle.com.
