In 2021, hundreds of Black women in Cleveland shared their experiences with researchers who wanted to understand why the city had been singled out in a national survey as one of the worst places in the country for Black women to live.

Healthcare was one of the categories of questions. Many of the women said health professionals didn’t take their symptoms or concerns seriously. 

One woman recalled an infertility specialist’s invasive questions about her insurance status and whether she was able to pay for treatment. 

Another woman spoke about how discouraged she felt when doctors told her she wasn’t allowed to breastfeed her newborn baby after a C-section. 

Another described visiting multiple doctors just to find the quality and attention to care she needed.

“It’s like mind Olympics when I go to the doctor,” she said. “It has definitely had an effect on how I seek care.” 

The surveys were conducted by Enlightened Solutions, a local nonprofit research and advocacy firm. Today, the organization is asking women whether their lives have changed in the past three years. 

Project Noir 2024 will carry on the work of the previous survey. The goal is to gather close to 1,000 responses from Black women across Northeast Ohio from diverse backgrounds and experiences and release a report at the end of the year. 

“If you are not investing in the future and success of these women in the city, then you are at a loss,” said Enlightened Solutions’ co-founder, Chinenye Nkemere. 

The need to center Black women’s voices 

In 2020, when the Bloomberg CityLab national livability index ranked Cleveland as the worst place in the country for Black women, Nkemere and Bethany Studenic took a deeper dive into understanding local women’s stories and experiences. 

The firm launched a year-long project that collected narratives in an effort to understand the statistics behind Bloomberg’s report. The results led to a 2021 report called “Project Noir: Cleveland is Failing Black Women,” which collected 450 stories of Black women in Northeast Ohio talking about their lived experiences of discrimination, harassment and abuse in spaces in healthcare, education and the workplace. 

The firm was tapped by the city to serve as a consultant for the Black Women and Girls Commisson in 2022. Nkemere served on Mayor Bibb’s equity and action transition team. Their project was the foundation to create the commission. 

Nearly three years later, Nkemere wants to know if anything has changed for women in the city. 

“We can’t let the conversations about Black women’s experiences in this city wither away,” Nkemere said. “We must continue to search for solutions and not become complacent.” 

The 20-minute survey is completely anonymous and will be open until the end of April. Survey participants must be at least 18 years old. The firm is also open to virtual interviews with the co-founders in an effort to gather additional information and insights.  

“Too many people and organizations are talking about Black women and Black families’ experiences without passing the microphone,” Nkemere said. “Now is the opportunity to understand what has changed, and it can inform future decisions we collectively make about the health, well-being and success of these women in our city.”