Living For We
In 2020, cityLAB of Pittsburgh released a study that ranked Cleveland dead last in terms of livability for Black women. On Living For We, we talk to Cleveland's Black women about their experiences at work, at school, in the doctor's office, and in community with each other in an attempt to answer the question... is Cleveland really as bad as they say it is for Black women?
This is an Ideastream Public Media podcast.
Our Editor's Take
Living For We is a podcast about how Black women care for themselves and encourage each other. Systems in the US can make Black women's lives difficult. This NPR podcast asks Black women in Cleveland how it is to live there. The show also explains how to approach the situation to find a solution.
Cleveland journalist Marlene Harris-Taylor hosts Living For We. She partners with Chinenye Nkemere (ChiChi) and Bethany Studenic from Enlightened Solutions. They had published another report called Project Noir on the same subject. To create this report, they asked Black women about what obstructed their wellness. That work led to the creation of this important podcast.
Host Marlene speaks to Black women in different positions and industries. She talks to CEO Ariane Kirkpatrick. The CEO explains how success can garner unwanted and dangerous attention for Black women. Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett's work supports Black girls with anxiety. She talks to Marlene about singing as an act of hope and faith.
In the first episode, ChiChi and Bethany go to a Cleveland bar to hold a forum. They invited Black women to speak about their experiences. One woman talks about how she once considered being a strong Black woman a badge of honor. Now, she resents the sentiment, and she is weary. ChiChi relates to this.
On the podcast, Black women share their stories on how to make Cleveland better for themselves, each other, and future generations. Living For We shows how Black women are saving each other.
Episodes