PolicyBridge - Building Bridges:
PolicyBridge - Building Bridges:
From THOUGHT to DISCOURSE
PolicyBridge - Building Bridges:
From PERCEPTION to DATA
PolicyBridge - Building Bridges:
From IDEA to PLAN
PolicyBridge - Building Bridges:
From ACTION to PROGRESS
Celebrating 20 years, PolicyBridge has served as a trusted minority think tank with an aim of researching, analyzing, and responding to public policy from a minority perspective. Dedicated to illuminating issues and their impact on the regional economy for policymakers, business and civic leaders, and philanthropic organizations.
MISSION
PolicyBridge is a research and advocacy think and action tank that prompts and sustains high quality discourse about public policy issues affecting African-Americans and other underserved communities which enlightens fellow community members and catalyzes action.
On Jan. 31 at the Greater Cleveland Partnership offices, 1240 Huron Road East, a ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) setting forth their commitment to working collaboratively toward Three economic mobility goals and a series of interim benchmarks. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb; County Executive Chris Ronayne; Lillian Kuri, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Foundation, and GCP President and CEO Baiju Shah offered brief remarks during the signing ceremony. Leaders or representatives of Cleveland Council, Cuyahoga County Council, the George Gund Foundation, United Way of Greater Cleveland, the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University demonstrated their support for the Urban Agenda project by taking part in the signing event.
Photo Credit – Greater Cleveland Partnership
This Urban Agenda is a bold collective pursuit for Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. In Fall 2019, PolicyBridge began convening talks and organizing meetings of leaders and representatives from local government, philanthropic, business, advocacy and social support organizations. Building on a 2021 report from PolicyBridge advocating for “Resetting the Table” in Cleveland, these meetings have sought to bring together local stakeholders and challenge them to think differently and act collaboratively to address deep-rooted systemic problems that have too long held back the local community and its people. The COVID-19 pandemic initially slowed progress, but ultimately enabled this effort to ride the tide of an unprecedented wave of new institutional leadership.
The Urban Agenda focuses its strategies and activities on improving and changing systems by removing the structural, policy, and practice barriers that prevent Black and Brown families from being economically and socially successful.
A theory of change for improving systems long-term, fundamental shifts in a complex system, rather than only changing surface-level outcomes.
A living, growing record of where current initiatives are happening, how it aligns to the Urban Agenda, and an opportunity to identify and address where gaps remain.
PolicyBridge is reaching out to organizations and individuals across the ecosystem, with an invitation to join our current partners in this leading-edge work.
OPED – PUBLISHED JULY 28, 2023
By Guest Columnist, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND — Two recently released reports benchmark and illustrate the effects of systemic inequities, racial hatred, and discriminatory policies and practices experienced by people of color in America, particularly African Americans.
The first is the National Urban League’s “State of Black America,” which is an analysis of the explosive growth of domestic extremism and systemic inequities in the areas of economics, employment, health, housing, criminal justice, and civic participation. The report details how domestic extremists in America are now advocating for the elimination of our civil liberties, infiltrating our military ranks, law enforcement and political systems.
LATEST REPORT – RELEASED MAY 2023
The state of the Black community in Cleveland has been affected by many issues over recent years. Topics ranging from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the digital divide, systemic disinvestment in communities of color and much more have all contributed to troubling outcomes that have stymied progress and perpetuated poverty, unemployment and trauma. For the sake of this report, the following five areas are being highlighted for further review and analysis: Health Disparities, Education, Economic Opportunity, Neighborhoods and Housing and Community Violence. Challenges associated with these five areas have resulted in the current State of Black Cleveland being defined as “Troubled” or “Marginalized”.
November 2021
PolicyBridge, in partnership with Ohio Rep. Stephanie Howse, invited dozens of government officials, philanthropic leaders, representatives of service organizations, and community advocates to a working session with the goal of developing a framework for an urban agenda. The agenda was meant to be specific to Cleveland but applicable to other cities facing distress and disinvestment.
The 40 participants offering a diverse range of viewpoints found consensus around six overarching areas for coordinated action: economic opportunity and mobility, neighborhoods… Read the Complete Report
From a practical perspective racism is expensive…. Read Complete Paper
“You’ve heard people say, ‘I can’t breathe’ wasn’t just about someone with a knee on their neck. Many feel that there’s that’s a metaphor for many facets of life…” Randell McShepard said.
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