Ohio Legislative Black Caucus hosts annual Day of Action

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) today is holding their annual Day of Action. This year’s theme “Reclaiming our Government” focuses on four areas in which citizens can be empowered to take control of their communities and address disparities through engaging with the legislature.*

OLBC President and state Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) has ramped up the group’s focus on rooting out disparities within Ohio’s black community during her second year as president.

“Our Day of Action is focused on getting an understanding of the barriers that have led to systematic disengagement within our government,” said Howse. “We want to offer pathways for how African Americans in Ohio can increase advocacy on pressing issues that matter to our community.”

According to the Ohio Poverty Report released in February of 2018, the areas that had the highest poverty rates were counties with metropolitan areas, where a bulk of the black population resides. Counties with poverty rates higher than the state average of 15.4 percent include Allen (Lima), Clark (Springfield), Cuyahoga (Cleveland-Elyria), Franklin (Columbus), Hamilton (Cincinnati), Lucas (Toledo), Mahoning (Youngstown), Montgomery (Dayton), Richland (Mansfield) and Trumbull (Warren).

In 2016, while Ohio’s graduation rates rose to a little over 83 percent, only about 67 percent of black high school students graduate, ranking Ohio forty-fifth in the nation for black graduation according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The OLBC is hopeful that this year’s Day of Action will create even more opportunities for collaboration to engage and advance communities around Ohio. In its 2018 legislative agenda, the OLBC takes aim at education, criminal justice, voting rights, and health and family care.