The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

On November 22, 2014, just after 3:30 in the afternoon, a 12-year-old boy was shot by a police officer outside of the Cudell Recreation Center. Tamir Rice had been playing with a toy gun, an airsoft replica that was missing the telltale orange tip. The officer shot Rice twice less than two seconds after getting out of the police cruiser which had not even come to a complete stop. Rice died from his wounds the following day.\r\n\r\nThis tragedy was seen by many to be part of an ongoing pattern of excessive force by the Cleveland Division of Police. In the intervening years, many reform efforts, including a consent decree and a new citizen-led oversight commission, have been attempted and implemented to not only reduce violence but also improve relations between police and the communities they serve.

At a time when the world seems fraught with polarization and violence, it\'s important to pause and witness the resiliency and solidarity of communities who are committed to working together to address poverty, injustices, inequality, and many other disparities.\r\n\r\nFounded in 1974, as a response to the predominate mission model at the time, IPM was as groundbreaking then as it is today. A global organization based right here in Northeast Ohio, IPM is the premier, intersectional and multi-faith organization that nurtures & affirms justice, solidarity, and peace.\r\n\r\nAnyang\' Nyong\'o, the current Governor of Kisumu County, in the Republic of Kenya, is known by many as the Mandela of Kenya. He has a long list of exceptional political accomplishments focusing on education, economic development, health, and social services. Along with his wife Dorothy Nyong\'o, who is incredibly remarkable as the First Lady of Kisumu, Kenya and Founding and Managing Trustee of the African Cancer Foundation. Dorothy also serves as a member of IPM's International Executive Board and Regional Vice-Chair for Sub-Saharan Africa. Both are the parents of five children, including Oscar award-winning actress Lupita Nyong\'o.

In the 2nd youth led forum of the year, we will focus on how racial inequities in education are deeply entrenched in the American school system, affecting not just individual students but the broader landscape of educational achievement and opportunity.\r\n\r\nResearch shows that schools with higher concentrations of students from marginalized racial and ethnic groups are more likely to experience underfunding, overcrowded classrooms, and limited access to advanced coursework and resources. This systemic inequality can contribute to lower graduation rates and diminished college and career readiness across the board, impacting the ability of schools to produce well-rounded, critical-thinking scholars.\r\n\r\nAccording to a report by the U.S. Department of Education, schools serving predominantly minority students receive roughly $23 billion less in funding each year than those serving predominantly white students. These disparities not only hinder the academic potential of individual students but also compromise the overall quality of education in America, limiting the nation's ability to cultivate diverse, informed, and capable leaders for the future.\r\n\r\nThis forum will dive into the root causes of these inequities, their impact on students of all backgrounds, and what can be done to create a more equitable and inclusive educational system.

Join Congresswoman Shontel Brown, who has championed local issues since her election in 2021, and Congressman Max Miller, a former Trump administration official, as they discuss the critical work ahead in a politically divided Congress. They delve into pressing topics like workforce development, economic challenges in Northeast Ohio, and the importance of bipartisan cooperation on issues like the urgent need for a new farm bill. Claire Roth, from Ohio Newsroom, highlights the narratives behind these political dynamics, emphasizing civility amidst a contentious atmosphere.

The outcome of the 2024 election may not be decided the evening of Tuesday, November 5th, but regardless of the results, the next President will be faced with some of the most urgent and pressing decisions regarding foreign policy. Both Presidents Biden and Trump have attempted to move foreign policy in different directions, but with lukewarm results and pushback from both domestic and international powers. How will tariffs, immigration, climate change, multiple contentious wars, and more influence the next President\'s first 100 days?

Dale Anglin, the inaugural director of Press Forward and former VP of the Cleveland Foundation, discusses the transformation of local journalism. She emphasizes the decline of community news and the importance of proximity in building trust. Anglin highlights efforts to empower grassroots journalism through initiatives like Documenters, which engage citizens in reporting. The conversation also touches on innovative funding models and the need for diverse voices in media to sustain democracy and improve access to information.

Pronita Gupta, a Senior Fellow focused on labor and worker rights, shares insights from her time in the Biden White House. She discusses the transformative potential of recent federal investments, emphasizing the need for coalitions among communities, labor unions, and employers to rebuild local economies. Gupta highlights successful examples from Cleveland, illustrating how inclusive strategies can address economic disparities and uplift underserved populations. She also stresses the importance of trust and collaboration in labor relations and workforce development for fostering job quality.

The Ohio Supreme Court is the highest court in the state system, consisting of six associate justices and one chief justice. All the seats on the court are elected at large by the voters of Ohio, and starting in 2022, Ohio became one of seven states that elects state supreme court justices based on partisan elections. This November 5th, six candidates will be running for three open seats.\r\n\r\nInvitations were extended to all six candidates, and with early voting now underway we invite you to join the City Club--in partnership with the Ohio Debate Commission--for a FREE candidate forum led by Statehouse News Bureau Chief Karen Kasler.

Ohio State stands at the doorway of great opportunity, firmly and uniquely positioned to be a leading national flagship public research university. Leading the way is Walter "Ted" Carter Jr., who was appointed as the 17th president of The Ohio State University by the Board of Trustees on August 22, 2023. He began his tenure at Ohio State on January 1, 2024.\r\n\r\nAs president, Carter leads the state's flagship, public research university with six campuses in Ohio and a student body of more than 65,000. Ohio State's largest campus is in Columbus, the state capital and one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Additionally, the university has campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark and Wooster, as well as the nationally recognized Wexner Medical Center, a global research enterprise and leading athletics program.

Dr. Ala Stanford knew she wanted to be a doctor by the time she was eight years old. But role models were few and far between in her working-class North Philly neighborhood. Her teachers were dismissive, and the realities of racism, sexism, and poverty threatened to derail her at every turn. Nevertheless, thanks to her faith, family, and the sheer strength of her will, today she is one of the vanishingly small number of Black women surgeons in America-and an unrelenting force in the fight for health justice.\r\n\r\nIn Take Care of Them Like My Own, Dr. Stanford shares an unflinching account of her story, explaining how her experiences on both sides of the scalpel have informed her understanding of America's racial health gap, an insidious and lethal form of inequality that exacts a devastating toll on Black communities across the country, affluent and underserved alike.\r\n\r\nDr. Ala Stanford is founder of the Black Doctors Consortium, a national leader in health equity, a health care policy advisor, and former regional director of the US Department of Health and Human Services of the mid-Atlantic appointed by President Biden.