Making Space
How the Racial Equity Coalition is fostering unity in Athens.
Story by Sophia Dawson
Photos by Pearl Spurlock | Design by Ally Parker
Four years may seem like a short time to form a connection with a community, but bridging the gap between Ohio University and the people of Athens can enrich personal experiences and enable students and community members to leave a lasting impact on the place many call home.
Micah McCarey hosts a community welcome event for the Racial Equity Coalition at Athens Middle School.
The Racial Equity Coalition of Athens is working to increase a sense of belonging and community among all members of the city of Athens. According to the coalition’s website, the group is “a collaborative space to advance racial equity and racial justice within the Athens community.”
Brandi Baker and Brandon Thompson, co-founders of the Racial Equity Coalition of Athens, explain the coalition was started to meet needs within the community.
“We talked about needing a space where people can come together and talk about challenges and barriers of people of color locally, as well as allyship, and what that could look like within the community. [And] on how we could build more inclusivity in the city of Athens and Athens County as a whole,” Baker says.
An important aspect of fostering inclusion and belonging in the Athens community is connecting individuals to resources and like-minded people. Lacey Rogers, the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) coordinator for the City of Athens, explains how the racial equity coalition aims to do this.
“We have a lot of DEIA resources, and a lot of them people don't know anything about, but we want[ed] to really highlight those because we do have a lot of stuff going on,” Rogers says.
Community members share food from local restaurants and chefs, including Dr. Macy Thai Kitchen, at a Racial Equity Coalition welcome event at Athens Middle School.
One issue the coalition wanted to focus on when it was formed was racial health equity. Through the formation of a fellowship named in honor of Dr. Harold Thompson, one of the first degree-holding physicians to practice in Athens County, the coalition worked with OU students interested in advocating racial health equity. In partnership with students, the coalition brought together a group of community members who were interested in being a part of a community health advisory board. The fellowship works to gather interviews and local assessments on communities of color.In 2024, the fellowship plans to produce a report on the experiences of people of color in Athens have had in relation to healthcare. It will be the first primary data set in rural areas for communities of color. Brandi Baker, one of the forerunners of this research, explains the questions they are hoping to answer through this research.
City Council President Christine Knisely receives recognition at a community welcome event at Athens Middle School.
“What are the true barriers to accessing health care for communities of color? Whether it's linguistic barriers, or whether it's our in-house barriers that maybe this community isn't quite prepared to address,” Baker says. “How can we take some of the resources that we find in metro areas and make sure that we have them accessible in rural areas to become more inclusive and more accessible for communities of color?”
Another important aspect of the coalition is its involvement and advocacy within the Ohio legislature. Beth Amoriya, an early member of the coalition, explains her involvement with an advocacy group, Honesty for Ohio Education.
“We were fighting bills at the Statehouse that were trying to restrict what elementary schools and high schools could teach about race [and] about our racial history,” Amoriya says.
Through this organization, Amoriya explains that she was able to relay information on the bills to the Racial Equity Coalition.
“I would go to those meetings and then I would come back once a month to the Racial Equity Coalition and give a report on what was happening with this group at the Statehouse,” Amoriya says.
Similarly, in 2021, the coalition worked to help increase community knowledge on House Bills 322 and 327, which, if passed, would have effectively removed critical race theory from the curriculum of Ohio schools.
“We held meetings virtually; we invited people throughout the communities to come to the meeting so we could educate them about the house bills that were being proposed,” Baker says. “Then, we asked community members to participate in a letter writing campaign to the State House and to our local representatives.”
Being an engaged OU student is instrumental in leaving a lasting impact on the Athens community. Sue Righi, another early member of the coalition, explains her view on the importance of student involvement in local community events.
“Universities can be these little bubbles. But there’s real, rich life beyond the university,” Righi says.
If you are a student at Ohio University and are looking to get involved with the Racial Equity Coalition of Athens and the work they do in the community, the group meets every first Friday of the month on the second floor of the Athens County Foundation building located at 2 S Court St. You can also reach out to the coalition to stay informed on upcoming events at racialequityathens@gmail.com.