The Cincinnatus Association

Presents the

Donald and Marian Spencer

Spirit of America Awards

A Virtual Celebration Event

Wednesday, May 12, 2021 6:30 PM

Donald & Marian Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards Program – May 12, 2021

6:30 p.m. Welcome Mark Neikirk, President of The Cincinnatus Association

Introductions & Announcements Courtis Fuller, Master of Ceremonies

The Spencers Video by Barbara Wolf

Guest Speaker Verna Williams, Dean & Nippert Professor of Law University of College of Law

Awards and Videos American Jewish Committee Cincinnati Franciscan Ministries Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati JANCOA Janitorial Services Fifth Third Bank

The Marian Spencer Sculpture Tom Tsuchiya, Sculptor

The Spencers Video by Barbara Wolf

Closing Courtis Fuller

Thank you and See You, Next Year Susan Noonan, Chair Spencer Committee

2020-2021 Spirit of America Awardees Non-Profit Organizations

For- Profit Organizations

THE CINCINNATUS ASSOCIATION

The Cincinnatus Association is a membership organization dedicated to understanding the issues facing our community and encouraging progress. The lifeblood of The Cincinnatus Association lies in its ability to focus the efforts, energies, and talents of its members on issues chosen by the Association. Our panels reflect categories of particular interest to us: Excellence in Education, Excellence in Government and Community Inclusion.

The Cincinnatus Association believes that the quality of life in the City of Cincinnati and in the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area is among the highest in the United States and can be further improved.

The Association has focused historically on the structure of local government, the quality of public education, inclusion and economic development. These issues continue to be the primary priorities of the Cincinnatus Association. However, other issues in which the Association has a major or unique ability to increase the quality of life can be pursued at the direction of the membership.

The Cincinnatus Association depends on its members to provide civic leadership in its efforts to improve the long-term vitality of the region.

Executive Committee Members 2020-2021

Mark Neikirk, President Connie Roesch, Vice President Susan Noonan, Secretary Bill Muse, Treasurer Al Beauchamp, Sam Brewer, Melissa Currence, Kent Friel, Sarah Gideonse, Rhonda Holyfield-Mangieri, Nazly Mamedova, Jeffery Stec, and John Young.

CHAIRS & CO-CHAIRS

Excellence in Education Panel: Jeffery Stec & Kent Friel Excellence in Government Panel: Connie Roesch & Melissa Currence Community Inclusion Panel: Sam Brewer & John Young Spencer Awards Committee: Rhonda Holyfield-Mangieri & Susan Noonan Cincinnatus Community Fund Compliance Officer: Nazly Mamedova Membership Committee: Susan Noonan & Kent Friel Arts Panel: Gina Erardi and Rhonda Mangieri

MISSION STATEMENT

It is the mission of the Cincinnatus Association and its members to initiate, recognize, participate in and promote projects that improve the quality of life for all citizens in the Greater Cincinnati region through, among other things, the study of critical issues confronting the region, the engagement of community leaders and the nonpartisan shaping of public policy.

The Spencer Awards Committee

Susan Noonan, Chair Rhonda Mangieri, Co-Chair

Sam Brewer John Frank, Jr. Connie Roesch Alice Schneider Stephanie Stoller Larry Williams John Young

The committee wishes to express their special thanks to Jill Claire, Ally Nastase, and the entire Secretary to the Public team for their assistance, as well as Courtis Fuller and Prestige AV & Creative Services.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus

In 458 BC, the Roman Empire was threatened by an army of barbarian tribes. The Senate called upon Lucius Cincinnatus, a Roman general who had retired to farming, granting him the powers of dictator so he could save the nation. Upon accomplishing this task in only 16 days, Lucius Cincinnatus relinquished his powers (symbolized by the fasces in his right hand) and returned to his farm (the plow in his left hand).

To this day, Cincinnatus is revered as a model leader and citizen – a man who neither sought power nor held onto it once he had met the needs of his people.

DONALD AND MARIAN SPENCER Early Days (excerpts from Keep On Fighting by Dorothy Christenson) One of Donald’s early racial confrontations was over the Walnut Hills school policy to not allow blacks to attend the high school junior-senior prom. Donald and his friend, Walter Mitchell, wanted to go. They met with the student adviser. According to Donald, the conversation went something like:

Donald: Walter and I want to go to the prom. Adviser: Oh, you wouldn’t enjoy yourselves. Donald: We think we would , and we want to go. Adviser: None of the other black students has requested to go. I’ll have to check.

The boys were allowed to buy prom tickets.

In 1931, Donald graduated from Walnut Hills High School at the top of his class. His grades tied those of the class valedictorian, but that status was denied to African Americans.

After graduation, he stayed in Cincinnati and enrolled at the University of Cincinnati in order to keep his part-time job at the A&P. Donald, the first black employee of that national grocery chain, could not risk finding another

job if he left town to go to college in the middle of the Great Depression.

Groundbreaking (excerpts from Keep On Fighting by Dorothy Christenson)

I never paid any attention to Coney Island in Cincinnati because I knew we couldn’t go there. Then one day in 1952, my boys were watching the popular “Uncle Al” television

program for children. Uncle Al was showing the lake with paddleboats, the merry-go- round, roller coaster and other rides. “Everybody come to Coney Island!” Uncle Al said.

Edward and Donald Jr. were eight and ten years old, and they said they wanted to go, too.

Following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision . . . Cincinnati

Public School (CPS) Board of Education and the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP began a lon g struggle to resolve issues that had not been addressed successfully since Reconstruction. CPS did not, however, establish policies to integrate the schools until 1972.

That year a more liberal CPS Board passed a hotly contested comprehensive desegregation plan at the end of the year. (Marian was chair of the NAACP Education Committee in 1972.)

Thank you to our sponsors:

CHAMPION SPONSOR:

BENEFACTOR SPONSORS

ADVOCATE SPONSOR

Thank you to our sponsors:

TABLE SPONSORS:

Connie Roesch Rhonda Holyfield-Mangieri John Norwine and Melissa Currence Susan & David Noonan Harry Blanton

Thank you to our sponsors:

FRIEND SPONSORS:

Alphonse Gerhardstein Barbara Glueck Charles & Alice Schneider Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Program Denise Driehaus Edwin & Carole Rigaud John & Susan Frank John Martindell PIP Michael & Susan Burns Uptown Consortium Xavier University

Donald and Marian Spencer “Spirit of America” Past Award Winners

2019 Non-profit For-Profit National Alliance on Mental Illness The Model Group (NAMI) Ohio Justice & P&G Policy Center Shelterhouse The Reds Community Fund

2018 Non-profit Job Training Non-profit Support For-profit Organization Organization Services Organization Nehemiah Manufacturing, City Gospel Mission Freestore Foodbank Inc. Urban Minority Alcohol Venice on Vine / Power and Drug Abuse Inspires Progress “PIP” Outreach Programs

2017 Non-profit Job Non-profit Support For-profit Organization Training Organization Services Organization Urban League of Greater Su Casa Hispanic Center Al. Neyer Southwestern Ohio of Cincinnati

2016 Individual Non-Profit For-Profit Dr. Bleuzette Marshall Innocence Project PNC

2015 Individual Non-Profit For-Profit Willie Carden Goodwill Industries Kroger Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards

Mark Neikirk, Director of Scripps Howard Center of Engagement, is President of The Cincinnatus Association, which is the founding organization of the Donald and Marian Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards.

Mark has led The Cincinnatus Association in focusing on issues facing our community by taking public positions on the attacks against Asian Americans, urging City Hall to put people over PAC, and publishing a letter in local newspapers recognizing Mr. George Floyd’s death as a clarion calling our community to action.

Mark is also a member and past president of the University Press of Kentucky, Thomas D. Clark Foundation, and a trustee of the Behringer Crawford Museum. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky.

Courtis Fuller is news anchor for WLWT-TV and host of “Let’s Talk Cincinnati.” In recognition of his excellence in journalism and leadership and commitment to community service, Courtis has received over 300 awards. He was named "Cincinnati's Favorite TV Personality" by the Broadcast Hall of Fame.

A constant activist, Courtis led an effort to have the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's entrance into honored by the City of Cincinnati and the . He also conceived and produced an eight-day Cincinnati jazz and heritage festival. He is currently an advisory board member for the Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation.

Courtis has been the Emcee of the Donald and Marian Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards since its inception. Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards

Verna Williams is Dean and Nippert Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She is founder and co-director of the College’s Nathaniel R. Jones Center for Race, Gender and Social Justice.

Prior to joining the College of Law, Dean Williams served as VP and Director of Educational Opportunities at the National Women’s Law Center, where she focused on issues of gender equity in education.

While at the National Women’s Law Center, Dean Williams was lead counsel and successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education. This case established that Title IX requires educational institutions to respond to and address complaints of student-to- student sexual harassment.

Dean Williams also practiced at the Department of Justice and with the firm of Sidley Austin LLP, and clerked for the Honorable David S. Nelson in the District of Massachusetts.

In 2020, the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber honored Dean Williams, and six other African Americans, during Black History Month as part of its “We Are Making Black History” campaign. The campaign is a conscious effort to recognize African American leaders whom we may not know.

Dean Verna Williams is a Bachelor of Science graduate of Georgetown University and a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and Georgetown University.

Her commitment to issues of racial equality and justice aligns with the mission of Cincinnatus and Cincinnatus Association is honored to have Dean Verna Williams as its guest speaker.

Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards

Tom Tsuchiya, sculptor, has completed many private and public commissions. In 2000, he completed the bronze sculpture of D'Artagnan for Xavier University. He was then commissioned to complete life size bronze statues of Cincinnati Reds players at .

In 2009, Tom was commissioned to create the "Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award", the trophy that is annually given to the National Football League's best offensive line. The trophy was awarded during Super bowl XLIV.

In 2019, he was commissioned by the Women’s City Club of Greater Cincinnati to sculpture Marian Spencer. Tom is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati DAAP program. His co-sculptor was Gina Erardi, graduate NKU School of Fine Arts.

Recognizing the significance and impact of the Spencer’s work, Susan Noonan and The Cincinnatus Association established the Donald and Marian Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards in 2015. The Cincinnatus Association wanted to honor the legacy of the Spencers and recognize those organizations that have diligently worked to create greater inclusion and to promote diversity and racial equity in our community.

Susan is Chairperson of the Donald and Marian Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards event, a member of the Marian Spencer Statue Committee, a member of Cincinnatus’ Executive Committee, President of the FBI Cincinnati Citizen’s Academy Alumni Association and volunteers on multiple other boards and committees. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati Master’s program in Criminal Justice.

MARIAN SPENCER STATUE - REPLICA

TO BE INSTALLED

SMALE PARK, CINCINNATI OHIO

COMMISSIONED BY WOMEN’S CITY CLUB OF GREATER CINCINNATI

F 0618-0106