Fifth annual Cincinnati Project Symposium slated for March 1

By: Noelle Zielinksi

The Cincinnati Project will host its fifth annual symposium from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Friday, March 1. This year, the symposium’s theme is Women of Color in Cincinnati and will take place in the University of Cincinnati’s African American Cultural and Research Center located at 60 West Charlton St.

Sponsored by UC's McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, The Cincinnati Project (TCP) was designed to expand knowledge of the social dynamics of urban places through research projects. Its goal is to connect college faculty with organizations that serve marginalized people and communities to bring about positive change.

Since fully launching in January of 2016, TCP has grown to include nearly 400 A&S faculty and students, and more than 30 community organizations.

This year’s symposium will include these keynote speakers:

Arykah Carter (she, her, hers) is a trans woman of color living in Cincinnati and a board member for TransOhio.org, a statewide advocacy and education organization. Carter is currently working on composing a Trans and Queer People of Color Collective (TQPCC) in Cincinnati.

Mona Jenkins is one of the leaders of Mass Action for Black Liberation (formerly Blacks Lives Matter Cincinnati) and the Director of Development & Operations for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. As an educator and researcher who graduated from UC, she actively works with community members to address neighborhood specific issues related to health, gender, housing, and education. In collaborating with leaders and individuals who reside in the neighborhoods, Jenkins seeks to build engagement, empowerment, and community-sustainable solutions.

In addition to the keynote presentations, the symposium will include student and faculty presentations of their community-partnered projects, a panel on scholar activism and objectivity, and a discussion of the process from research idea to policy change.

Register today at thecincyproject.org/symposium