The Fifth Day of Kwanzaa, December 30 (Nia means Purpose)

The black candle, then the left most red candle, then the right most green candle, then the 2nd red candle at the left hand side and lastly the next green candle are lit in the same sequence. This represents the 5th principle i.e. Kwanzaa - Nia (NEE-ah) or Purpose.

Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/kwanzaa/sevendays.htm#ZThEe8BkisDfUV2O.99

Happy Holidays!

SCLC Annual Emancipation Proclamation event, Monday, December 26th

The Office of Human Relations staff participated in planning this annual event & Ericka King-Betts, PhD, Division Manager, will be providing opening remarks.

OHR Holiday Celebration

Yesterday we got together for our annual holiday outing. To close out the year, we had some fun bowling and connecting with each other between strikes and spares (gutters for others). 

Happy Holidays from all of us!

Twitter Townhall #WordsAreAction

TODAY, Wednesday, December 14, 2016

7:00 - 8:00pm, 

Twitter Townhall

Join us as the Office of Human Relations (OHR) chats with Lena Tenney, MPA,MED Researcher and Facilitation Specialist from the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity. 

Participate and/or follow OHR @COCHumanRel on Twitter or track the conversation using the hashtag #WordsAreAction.

Discussion will include how to use everyday language to counter hate, and create inclusive spaces for all. 

Hats, gloves, and scarves .... Oh My!!!!

The Office of Human Relations would like to thank everyone who participated in our hats, scarves and gloves drive. Together, we collected over 100 pieces of brand new clothing to share with local charities. Our goal was to help those in need to stay warm this winter and we couldn’t have done it without you! 

Thank you for your donations. 

Happy Holidays!

Twitter TownHall scheduled for Wednesday, December 14th

Halfway through Friday and we're looking forward to the weekend and our Twitter Townhall next week with @Lena10E #WordsAreAction https://t.co/FqAZFyYdHf

Donate outerwear items for this cold winter weather

TODAY, Friday, December 9th, 2016 is the final day to make your donations. Please join us to help others with hats, gloves and scarves for the cold winter weather, which are now here. All donations will be distributed to area drop in centers.

Please bring your donations to the decorated box located in Cincinnati City Hall Plum Street lobby (801 Plum Street).

Thank you in advance for helping to make a difference!

The Winter Shelter is NOW OPEN!

The 2016-17 Winter Shelter opened yesterday evening at the Shelterhouse, Baron Center, 411 Gest Street, Cincinnati 45202.  People can arrive after 7:00PM.  The Winter Shelter is in a separate portion of the building with its own, labeled entrance and separate facilities.  It is done this way so that anyone who may not currently feel okay in the traditional shelter setting, will hopefully feel more able to go to the Winter Shelter.

Also,  While the Baron Center's main facility is for men, the Winter Shelter is for anyone who would otherwise be outside.

Please encourage folks to go the Winter Shelter.  You can use this flyer https://gallery.mailchimp.com/82976bc34d0c29ff4bb566b46/files/2016_17_flyer.pdf?utm_source=Master+List&utm_campaign=002e7aa64f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9e49c95d0d-002e7aa64f-106734233&mc_cid=002e7aa64f&mc_eid=9774ee1058.  The Winter Shelter is run very well and is a life saver for sure.  ID is not required and a person may give as little or as much information as they wish when they arrive.  The goal is simply to keep people warm and alive.

The Winter Shelter will close each morning at 6AM.  This time is chosen based on when people typically leave on their own. 

Saturday, December 10th is Human Rights Day

On Saturday, December 10th, join the Office of Human Relations (OHR) as we celebrate “Human Rights Day”.

Human Rights Day celebrates the fundamental proposition in the Universal Declaration that each one of us, everywhere, at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights, that human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the 10th day of December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.

OHR’s mission is “to help our community to overcome prejudice and discrimination, build mutual respect and understanding, and become more harmonious and cohesive." This mission can only be complete with the understanding that we all are entitled to equal human rights no matter our race, class, or gender. 

  

Happy Human Rights Day!

Thank you for attending our community forum last night!

Special Thank you to HOME for organizing such a great event. Thank you to the panelists–Brian Eiler, Angela Merritt, and Valarie Dowell–for sharing their experiences and research.

Be sure to follow HOME's Facebook page or sign up for mailings (http://bit.ly/2buNX8x) to learn about future events.

Martin Luther King Day Jr. Day 2017 Celebration Moves to Taft Theatre

The Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition announces a series of events for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 16, 2017, with events beginning at 8:00AM and continuing into the afternoon. This is the MLK Coalition’s 42nd annual celebration of the holiday in Cincinnati, dedicated to keeping Dr. King’s legacy vibrant in our community.

The 2017 Commemorative Celebration, usually held at Music Hall, will take place at the Taft Theatre, beginning at 11:30 AM. The MLK Coalition is honored to announce that Dr. Adam Clark, Associate Professor of Theology at Xavier University, will address this year’s theme, Unfair, Unequal, Unacceptable. Dr. Clark teaches courses ranging from The Religious Thought of Martin Luther King, Jr., to areas including Black Theology and Hip Hop. While Dr. King’s message is often neutralized to platitudes about having a “dream” and “just getting along,” Dr. Clark will explore the much more radical Dr. King whose message speaks to the very challenges we face as a nation in 2017. Adam Clark is a leading voice in reimagining the issues facing urban America, and works with students to address social justice at Xavier and in the community.

In addition to Dr. Clark’s presentation, Steve Milloy will conduct the award-winning Martin Luther King Chorale joined at times by area children’s choirs. The Chorale will also perform selections from “The Man Behind the Dream,” a cantata composed by Milloy to honor the life and work of openly gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin.

Beginning at 8:00 AM, the full day’s activities include many opportunities for participation, commemoration and celebration.

The schedule for the day is:

•  Ticketed Breakfast sponsored by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition:

• 8:00 a.m. King Legacy Awards Breakfast at the Freedom Center

Events Free and Open to the Public: Sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Coalition

• 10:30 a.m. Commemorative Civil Rights March begins at the Freedom Center

• 11:00 a.m. Fountain Square, Interfaith Prayer Service followed by march to Taft Theatre

• 11:30 a.m. Taft Theatre, MLK Commemorative Celebration

The King Legacy Awards Breakfast is being held at the Freedom Center. The 2017 Breakfast will recognize several students who are completing the King Legacy Youth Leadership Program, designed to provide further leadership opportunities for graduates of the Youth Docent Program at the Freedom Center sponsored by The Cincinnati (OH) Chapter of The Links Incorporated. Tickets for the King Legacy Awards Breakfast may be purchased by calling 513-333-7706.

Beginning at 10:30, hundreds of people will gather outside the Freedom Center’s Harriet Tubman Theater. After brief remarks and prayers, marchers will proceed to Fountain Square for an interfaith prayer service. The march, which commemorates the civil rights marches led by Dr. King and many others, will proceed to Taft Theatre. Metro’s Rosa Parks Bus, dedicated to the spirit of Mrs. Parks, will participate in the march, providing limited seating for those unable to walk from the Freedom Center to Taft Theatre. Many area religious leaders will participate during the march and later at Taft Theatre.

The Commemorative Celebration begins at 11:30 AM at the Taft Theatre.

All events except the Legacy Awards Breakfast are free and open to the public. For more information visit http://www.mlkcoalition.org or contact Keeyana Hall at keeyana@agencysevenpr.com.

The Commemorative Celebration begins at noon at Taft Theatre. The 2017 keynote speaker is the King scholar, Dr. Adam Clark.

Several area youth choirs will provide an exciting addition to the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Chorale music program under the direction of Bishop Todd O’Neal and Steve Milloy.

All events except the Legacy Awards Breakfast are free and open to the public. For more information visit www.mlkcoalition.org or email mlkcoalition@gmail.com

CHRC's Year in Review

Watch the @COCHumanRel InFocus Year in Review show. Video: https://vimeo.com/192828051 . Schedule: http://ow.ly/q8pI300b9yC 

The Third annual "Confronting Implicit Bias: A Free Community Forum", TODAY, 5:30-8pm at the United Way Building

TODAY, join HOME, in collaboration with The Office of Human Relations (OHR), as we host the third annual "Confronting Implicit Bias: A Free Community Forum", 5:30-8pm at the United Way Building.

We will discuss implicit bias and break down how our biases can influence our perceptions of safety within our communities. We will also discuss alternative methods to address community safety concerns, without depending on law enforcement.

This event is free and open to all. Plenty of free parking will be available and food and drinks will be served.

Please invite your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to join the conversation.

Twitter Townhall #WordsAreAction, Wednesday, December 14th, 7-8pm

Language is a powerful tool. Join us for our upcoming Twitter Townhall, Wednesday, December 14, 2016, 7-8pm as the Office of Human Relations (OHR) chats with Lena Tenney, MPA,MED Researcher and Facilitation Specialist from the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity. 

Discussion will include how to use everyday language to counter hate, and create inclusive spaces for all. Participate and/or following OHR @COCHumanRel on Twitter or track the conversation using the hashtag #WordsAreAction

ODNR Investigating Racist Graffiti On Loveland Bike Trail

http://wvxu.org/post/odnr-investigating-racially-charged-graffiti-loveland-bike-trail#stream/0

"Confronting Implicit Bias: A Free Community Forum"

HOME, in collaboration with The Office of Human Relations (OHR), will host our third annual "Confronting Implicit Bias: A Free Community Forum" on Tuesday, December 6, from 5:30-8pm in the United Way building.

We will discuss implicit bias and break down how our biases can influence our perceptions of safety within our communities. We will also discuss alternative methods to address community safety concerns, without depending on law enforcement.

This event is free and open to all. Plenty of free parking will be available and food and drinks will be served.

Please invite your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to join the conversation.

Community Outreach Advocates (COA) participate in Community march for peace after Roselawn homicide.

http://local12.com/news/local/community-marches-for-peace-after-roselawn-homicide

City of Cincinnati Kicks Off Holiday Season with Giving Tree

Mayor John Cranley, First Lady Dena Cranley and CRC Director Daniel Betts gathered in the lobby of City Hall on Friday, Dec. 2 to launch the fourth annual City of Cincinnati “Giving Tree” holiday project. As in years past, the Giving Tree is decorated with paper ornaments. The back of each ornament lists an item that a local family needs. Items requested range from toys and books to socks and underwear. Those who wish to participate can stop by City Hall and pluck an ornament off of the tree, purchase the listed item for donation and then place the item unwrapped under the tree. Items will be picked up from under the tree at the end of the day on December 20th. 

This year’s beneficiary is the Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC), which has identified seven families from recreation centers throughout the city to support this holiday season. You can watch the press conference here: https://vimeo.com/194063156 

Beyond the Giving Tree, the City of Cincinnati and The Office of Human Relations are teaming up to host the annual "Hats, Gloves and Scarves ... Oh My! drive. Donations are being accepted through Friday, Dec. 9 in the City Hall lobby. All donations will be distributed to area drop-in centers.

Twitter Townhall

Language is a powerful tool. Join us for our upcoming Twitter Townhall, Wednesday, December 14, 2016, 7-8pm as the Office of Human Relations (OHR) chats with Lena Tenney, MPA,MED Researcher and Facilitation Specialist from the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity.

Discussion will include how to use everyday language to counter hate, and create inclusive spaces for all. Participate and/or following OHR @COCHumanRel on Twitter or track the conversation using the hashtag #WordsAreAction. 

Please support the Cincinnati Police District Four Annual Toy Drive

Bullying Forum

Wednesday, November 30th, The Office of Human Relations, in collaboration with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (NURFC), the Community Action Agency and the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati, hosted a Community Conversation titled “Parenting Youth Today and Confronting Bullying.” 

The panelist for this critical conversation were:

* Reva Crosby, Superintendent of Mount Healthy City Schools

* Susan Graham, Director of Education with Child Focus, Inc.

* Dr. Thomas Tucker, Superintendent of Princeton City Schools and

* Three local high school students

Following the opening remarks by Moderator Dr. Michael Battle, Vice President/Provost with the NURFC, the panel addressed questions dealing with bullying such as:

*What should students do if they see another student being bullied?

*What do you say to the person who is doing the bullying?

*Is school personnel trained to handle bullying?

*What if the teacher is a bully?

*Do students feel comfortable talking to their parents, friends or others, if they are being bullied? If not, why not?

The question and answer session lasted approximately one hour and lots of good information was disseminated. The discussion closed with a parent discussing the lack of funding provided by the state or federal government to help schools do additional training in this area.