The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

For over a century, the Cleveland Foundation and Kresge Foundation have worked to improve the lives of residents and champion equity in Cleveland, Detroit and beyond. Building on their legacies, both organizations are innovating for the future and reshaping the field of place-based philanthropy. The Cleveland Foundation has embarked on a new chapter with its historic move to MidTown/Hough and is f...

As the national business and economic landscape rapidly shifts, Citizens CEO Bruce Van Saun will spend March crisscrossing the country to meet with dozens of public and private sector leaders to guide and listen. Many Americans are on edge, or may not be well-prepared for change. How can Cleveland businesses and communities lead with confidence amidst uncertainty, and emerge stronger and more resi...

Perhaps no widespread social initiative has been targeted by the presidential administration and others in political power as aggressively as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. Among the Executive Orders signed by President Trump on day 1 was an order \"Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.\" Another that day took aim at so-called \"gender ideology.\" Here i...

For more than two decades, The City Club of Cleveland has hosted the annual High School Debate Championship.\r\n\r\nEvery year, the top two area high school debaters square off in a classic \"Lincoln-Douglas\" style debate at a Friday forum. This allows the debaters to compete-not only for the judges and audience in the room-but also for our radio and television audiences.\r\n\r\nThe finalists wil...

The early days of the second Trump administration brought a dizzying number of policy and practice changes to the federal government. Through executive orders, directives, proclamations by social media, emails to federal employees, and statements to the press, President Trump, his administration, and his formal and informal advisers are bringing change to government and U.S. geopolitical standing...

Marvel\'s 2018 film Black Panther not only broke box office records, it also changed perceptions of Black superheroes and African culture. As the first film to feature a Black superhero, the film\'s director and writers wasted zero time taking up space in an industry that traditionally lacks BIPOC representation. Joining the team was Ruth E. Carter, whose skill in blending African-American history...

As the nation continues to grapple with rising homelessness and rising housing costs, the need to create and preserve more affordable homes has never been more acute. Yet, innovations are happening at the local level to spur safer, stronger communities. What are the practical solutions for bringing down escalating housing costs? And how can a national movement leverage proven solutions to ending h...

What does accountability in healthcare, workplaces, and educational systems look like for Black Women? This is the question that Enlightened Solutions, a nonprofit social enterprise and social advocacy think tank asked in their 2024 follow-up report to Project Noir. The original report, released in 2021, was the first survey of its kind to understand better why Cleveland was ranked last as a livab...

Cleveland-Cliffs is not just a local household name in Northeast Ohio manufacturing and economic development. It is North America\'s largest flat-rolled steel producer and the largest supplier of automotive-grade steel in the nation. Since 2014, Lourenco Goncalves has been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs. Mr. Goncalves successfully led four major company acquisi...

The fateful year 2020 brought dramatic challenges to American cities. The COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest caused by the killing of George Floyd led to a cascade of negative media stories about cities, often politically motivated. It seemed possible that the economic and demographic gains cities had achieved over the last few decades could be lost. In fact, there has been measurable populati...

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill (HB) 250, requiring each school district and community school to adopt a cell phone policy by July 1, 2025. While schools have the flexibility to choose a policy that fits their needs, many have taken varying approaches with a broad range of impacts. The new law aims to reduce distractions in schools that lead to negative learning outcomes for students.\...

Northeast Ohio businesses, organizations, and communities are already feeling the impacts of the Trump administration\'s executive orders on immigration. On January 20th, the Trump Administration halted refugee resettlement--stranding some refugees within hours of their scheduled travel to the US. And then on Sunday, January 26th, Cilantro Taqueria in Cleveland Heights confirmed that ICE agents to...

Since 2014, the City of Cleveland has been under a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to address a finding that the division exhibited an unconstitutional pattern or practice of excessive force. The investigation that led to that finding was sparked by the 2012 shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. A 23-mile car chase involving 60 police officers ended in a parking lot...

Through February, the stage production of Fat Ham will premiere at the Cleveland Play House. It\'s a cleverly hilarious retelling of William Shakespeare\'s Hamlet through the eyes of \"Juicy,\" a Southern Black mama's boy during a backyard cookout. It unapologetically centers Black joy and flips masculinity on its head. For many, the play\'s premise might cause a casual reader to double-take. Yet,...

More than a century of civil rights activism reached a mountaintop with the arrival of a Black man in the Oval Office. But hopes for a unified, post-racial America were deflated when Barack Obama's presidency was met with furious opposition, and a volcanic new movement-a second civil rights movement-began to erupt.\r\n\r\nNew Prize for These Eyes is a follow up to his bestselling novel Eyes on the...

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that about one out of every eight kids in America grows up in homes with a substance use problem. And according to the CDC, Fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in 2022. Now, the film INHERITANCE places us all on the frontlines of the opioid crisis right here in Ohio.\r\n\r\nFilmed over 11 years, INHERITANCE explores the under...

On November 6, 2023, Stephen Vogt was named the 45th manager of the Cleveland Guardians. He joined the club just two years after finishing his major league career and stepping into the seemingly unfillable shoes of Terry Francona. At the start, Vogt inherited the youngest roster in the MLB, and saw the loss of star pitcher Shane Bieber in the first week due to an elbow injury. By all accounts, the...

Successful companies innovate every day and create products and value for their customers. Efforts to build a robust workforce are no different. Here in Northeast Ohio, manufacturing leaders are innovating, testing, and scaling new ways to solve their talent needs. Through innovative workforce partnerships, changing policies, and adjusting conditions to be more inclusive, these companies are produ...

Three years after moving into the national spotlight as CEO of YWCA USA, Margaret Mitchell is undoubtedly still considered a local hero right here in Northeast Ohio. Recognized for her successful efforts to declare racism a public health crisis in Cleveland and Ohio, Margaret Mitchell\'s leadership has left an indelible mark on the fight to build a nation where all women and girls can thrive.\r\n\...

After 15 years of leading Esperanza Inc. during its first 40 years of service, Victor Ruiz announced earlier this year he will be stepping down. Together with the board, he stated, \"Now is the time to introduce a fresh perspective and new ideas to lead the way toward Esperanza's next chapter.\" Located on Cleveland\'s West Side, Esperanza aims to improve the lives of Latino youth and their famili...

The future of our downtown lakefront has always been a topic of conversation. In fact, studies as early as 1903 hoped to find solutions that enhanced our north shore. Over the decades, connectivity, access, as well as the challenge of Burke Lakefront Airport all have remained top concerns. Now, the decision by Haslam Sports Group to move the Cleveland Browns to the western suburbs has raised quest...

When thinking of entrepreneurs who serve as community champions, Connie Hill-Johnson and Kevin Johnson take this role to another level. Their life-long investments in economic development, volunteer efforts, and philanthropic contributions have left an indelible mark on Northeast Ohio. What can we learn from two of Cleveland\'s biggest champions on the progress made and work yet to be done--partic...

Trauma surgeon and professor Dr. Brian H. Williams has seen it all: gunshot wounds, stabbings, and traumatic brain injuries. Dr. Williams is also an Air Force Academy graduate, a Harvard-trained physician, a former congressional health policy advisor, and a nationally recognized leader at the intersection of public policy and structural racism, gun violence, and health equity. He has treated gun v...

According to the Ohio Department of Health, the infant mortality rate not only serves as a key indicator of maternal and infant health but is also an important measure of the health status of a whole community.\r\n\r\nAnd this year at the Cleveland International Film Festival, a documentary film showcasing nurses\' heroic efforts to support mothers and babies won the coveted audience choice award....

It has been roughly 40 years since the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in our country, and thanks to extraordinary advances in antiretroviral therapy and support services, survivors are now living long, healthy lives. For this reason, more than half of people diagnosed with HIV in the United States are aged 50 and older. Now, researchers, doctors, and patients are once again facing questions with u...