Community Engagement
Cincinnati Herald March, 6 2021 - March 12, 2021
A Historical Marker for James W. and L. Helen Rankin, Former Ohio House of Representatives
After a conversation with a representative from the Evanston Community Council in the city of Cincinnati, I agreed to assist the council to apply for an Ohio Historical Marker to memorialized James W. and L. Helen Rankin, an African American couple who served as representatives in the Ohio House of Representatives. Former Rep. James Rankin served first, but died suddenly. Then, his wife L. Helen was appointed to fulfill the remainder of his term in which she continued to serve in that seat until she retired. Due to my prior experience with the Ohio Historical Marker program, I assisted the representative and one of the Rankins’ daughters in explaining to them how the program worked and guided them to gather the required paperwork for the application. I composed the statement of significance and the proposed marker text to describe why the Rankins should be commemorated in this fashion. Finally, I put together the application and sent it to Ohio History Connection organization in Columbus, Ohio.
United Way of Greater Atlanta - Volunteer Involvement Program (VIP)
This program assisted me in developing and enhancing leadership skills and increasing diverse volunteer participation in nonprofit board and leadership positions in various organizations. VIP gave me the tools to serve as effective board members of local nonprofit agencies. Some of the workshops that I participated in included fundraising, strategic planning, marketing, and financial and legal decision making.
Music of Change: Protest, Uplift and Hope Webinar
I participated as a panelist at a special webinar sponsored by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in conjunction with Black Music Month on Thursday, June 24th, 2021. In conjunction with Black Music Appreciation Month, the webinar illuminated and explored the power of music and its intrinsic qualities in addressing social matters.
Black Girl Magic: Stories from the Field from African American Women
I participated as a panelist at a special virtual webinar sponsored by the Association of African American Museums on Thursday, August 5, 2021. The panel session featured mentors and mentees who described their experiences in the museum field from an African American woman’s perspective.
