Black business leaders struggle in Cincinnati

WCPO 9 compared Cincinnati to eight peer cities to see which offers the best economic prospects for African Americans.

IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE WESAW THE DRAMATIC DEPARTURE OFMICHAEL JOHNSON FROM THEUNITED WAY.THE NON-PROFIT'S FIRST AFRICANAMERICAN LEADER EVER WAS GONEJUST THREE AND A HALF MONTHSAFTER HESTARTED.IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHYCINCINNATI HAS A REPUTATIONAMONG SOME AS BEINGUNWELCOMING TO AFRICANAMERICANS IN LEADERSHIPROLES.IN HIS FIRST CINCINNATIMEDIA INTERVIEW SINCE LEAVING-- REPORTER LISA SMITH TALKEDTO JOHNSON AND OTHERS ABOUTWHY CINCINNATI SEEMS TO HAVETROUBLE RETAINING AFRICANAMERICAN LEADERS -- AND HOWSOME COMMUNITY LEADERS ARETRYING TO CHANGE THAT.FOR MICHAEL JOHNSON, LIFEAFTER CINCINNATI... ISGOOD."It's just been really, reallyamazing to be of service tokids and their families.

Ithink the state of Wisconsinhas really embraced myleadership and supported mecominghome."HE'S BACK IN MADISON-WISCONSIN..

BACK AT THE BOYSAND GIRLS CLUB OF DANE COUNTY.HE'S RAISED MILLIONS OFDOLLARS FOR A NEW FACILITY...FORMED PARTNERSHIPS WITHCOMPANIES AND COMMUNITYORGANIZATIONS..

WON AWARDS ANDBEEN ACCEPTED.

IT'SACCEPTANCE JOHNSON NEVERRECEIVED FROM CINCINNATI'SPOWERSTRUCTURE."I heard very very clearlyfrom Black people that when Icame into the region, theysaid brother I'll talk to youin 90 days.

I kept saying whyare so many black peopletelling me that and it wasjustconsistent.""This is a very hard town tobreak into because a lot ofwhat we do is still predicatedon familiarity andsubjectivity."SEAN RUGLESS WAS ONE OF ANUMBER OF BLACK COMMUNITYLEADERS POINTING OUT "THECONSTANT FAILURE TO PRESERVEBLACK LEADERSHIP" IN THIS 2018LETTER FOLLOWING JOHNSON'SDEPARTURE."The nasty habit that we haveis, not only did we have ahabit of excusing people andhad this exodus.

But, it wasalso damaging their image,damaging their backgrounds interms of how theyleave."DATA ALSO INDICATES SEVERALHURDLES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANSLOOKING FOR UPWARD MOBILITY INCINCINNATI..

COMPARED TO OTHERCITIES."Out of 107, we rankedCincinnati 31st which is awhole lot better than average,but it's not at the top inupward mobility for AfricanAmericans."WENDELL COX IS WITH THEHOUSTON-BASED URBAN REFORMINSTITUTE.

IT'S OCTOBERREPORT SHOWS CINCINNATIFALLING BEHIND CITIES LIKECOLUMBUS, KANSAS CITY,RALEIGH, THE D-M-V..

AND THE A-T-L."The real winner in terms ofAfrican American migrationfrom a lot of anecdotalevidence appears to beAtlanta."ATLANTA COMES OUT ON TOP INCENSUS DATA WCPO 9 NEWS USEDTO COMPARE CINCINNATI TO OTHERCITIES WHEN IT COMES TO BLACKBUSINESS OWNERSHIP, HOMEOWNERSHIP, EDUCATION ANDMEDIANINCOME."It's funny, when I firstmoved here I did a radio showinterview and someone calledin and sort of said, 'Beware.One, you're an AfricanAmerican leader of anon-profit and history hasshown that they don't stayherelong."HOWEVER, EDDIE KOEN WITH THEURBAN LEAGUE.--HAS FAITH INWHAT CINCINNATI HAS TO OFFERAFRICAN AMERICANS, DESPITEWHAT HE'SHEARD."I think we have to reallytrain ourselves to tell abalanced story.

We don't haveto mask our problems andissues because every city hasit.

Whether that's Atlanta,whether that's Dallas orChicago.

Every city has thisinclusivenessproblem."P-AND-G IS CINCINNATI'S BESTKNOWN CORPORATE RESIDENT.

ITOFTEN PRODUCES THOUGHT-PROVOKING AD CAMPAIGNS ABOUTRACIAL BIAS.

THE COMPANY SAYSBIAS.

THE COMPANY SAYSDIVERSITY, EQUITY ANDINCLUSION ARE A CORE PART OFITSSTRATEGY."We are committed to attract,develop, retain, promoteAfrican Americans as a part ofthat work and as a part ofthatplan."THAT INCLUDES AFRICANAMERICANS IN LEADERSHIPROLES... ACCORDING TO CHIEFEQUITY AND INCLUSION OFFICERSHELLY MCNAMARA.

SHE SAYS THECOMPANY WANTS TO REFLECT THENATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICANPOPULATION OF 13-PERCENT.TWO AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVERECENTLY BEEN PROMOTED TOGLOBAL LEADERSHIP ROLES.FORMER B-E-T C-E-O, DEBRA LEE,NOW SITS ON ITS BOARD.

BUT,THE COMPANY'S NUMBERS SHOW ITHASN'T REACHED IT'S GOALS FORAFRICAN AMERICANS INLEADERSHIP.."We don't have it all figuredout.

We also have to betransparent about the placesand moments where we'rechallenged."MEANWHILE..

DESPITE HISDEPARTURE, MICHAEL JOHNSONSAYS HE'S STILL FOND OFCINCINNATI..

BUT WANTS TO SEETHINGSIMPROVE."I think representationmatters.

And that's a hugehurdle here in the Cincinnatiregion."LS WCPO 9 NEWS