Reinvest Toledo wraps up its 4-show voter education initiative
Story and photos by Au’Ree Antoinette
TOLEDO – The nation is buzzing with anticipation as the 2024 presidential general election nears. Campaign signs dot neighborhoods across the country. Yet, despite these signs of engagement, many still feel uncertain regarding the future of both state and nation, as all 468 seats in the U.S. Congress are up for grabs.
Closer to home, Reinvest Toledo, a local nonprofit, took on the daunting task of educating Toledo residents on the importance of voting this fall.
On Sept. 22, Reinvest Toledo launched one of its pillar programs, the Power Tour: Unlock Your Vote. This initiative aimed to bring voter education to its target demographic: low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods. Each tour, held at the Collingwood Arts Center, included a 90-minute multimedia production that focused on voter education, and featured speakers and artists that spanned music, spoken word and film.
Power Tour shows:
- Sept. 22 | Bridging the gap regarding voter engagement | Host Montrice Terry
- Sept. 28 | Then & Now: How voting has impacted the queer community | Host Lexi Staples
- Oct. 6 | Your vote can impact issues facing your community | Host Morgan Harper
- Oct. 12 | How voting can change what you see everyday in your neighborhood | Host Rob Pasker
“The communities or wards with the lowest voter turnout are predominantly African American,” explained Amelia Gibbon, Reinvest Toledo’s executive director. “That’s why we chose to focus on the Englewood and Junction communities.”
The third Power Tour event on Oct. 6 was hosted by Morgan Harper, Columbus-based advocate and director of policy and advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. The event featured a panel of neighborhood leaders who shared their experiences and discussed how they’re applying their expertise to uplift their communities.
Panelists Sommer Clayborne, Chris Matthews, Dr. Brittany Jones, Matthew Smith Jr., and Coleena Ali tackled a variety of topics, including reproductive health, gun violence, food access and affordable housing.
Founded in 2015, Reinvest Toledo began as a partnership with the Lucas County Land Bank and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). Its intention is to act as a connector between neighborhood leaders and city officials. The founding members hope to empower residents with the tools and knowledge needed to advocate for change within their communities.
“We wanted to place power in the hands of the people,” Gibbon said. “Like the mother who sits on the porch or Miss ‘So and So.’ They are leaders, too, and for so long they have been denied the title of leaders. They need to be recognized for who they are because they have the influence, not us.”
Beyond their Power Tour, Reinvest Toledo runs several other impactful initiatives. One being the Raised Advocacy Project, a six-month program designed to equip eight participants with the skills to advocate for their neighborhoods. Additionally, participants collaborate with neighborhood leaders to build capacity for tackling community challenges.
Their Environmental Justice efforts are focused on the future of the Doehler-Jarvis site that has been abandoned for over 50 years.
“The Land Bank has identified funds for brownfield remediation,” Gibbon said. “Now we’re discussing as a community what we want to do with that land once the site is cleared.”
Reinvest Toledo’s mission is clear: Empower the voices within the community. Gibbon added, “I always tell people, don’t wait to be invited to the table. Create your own table and make them come to you. Otherwise, you’re just going to be an afterthought.”
For more information or to get involved in their mission, visit Reinvest Toledo's website.
