Overview:
• Comedian Mike Epps and his wife, Kyra Robinson, have bought his childhood homes in Indianapolis’ Kennedy-King neighborhood.
• The before and after photos of the houses are astounding.
• Epps has changed his childhood neighborhood and inspired restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses to create a thriving business district in Kennedy-King.
• The event, OwnBlkCincy, focused on policy to tackle racial bias in appraisals, disproportionately rising property taxes in Black neighborhoods, and reduced housing inventory due to out of state investors.
• The two-day event was free and open to the public.
Contributed
They were being evicted … again. Comedian Mike Epps recounted the memory as a young child seeing how upset his mother was. So he promised his mom that one day he would own all of the houses that their family had been evicted from. He made good on his promise: Epps and his wife, Kyra Robinson, have bought his childhood homes in Indianapolis’ Kennedy-King neighborhood. The before and after photos of the houses are astounding. Epps has changed his childhood neighborhood and inspired restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses to create a thriving business district in Kennedy-King. Epps told the audience that it’s fine to say you’re from the ‘hood, but “You need to OWN the ‘hood!”
Darrick Dansby, former president of the Greater Cincinnati Realtists Association, came up with the idea of a two-day symposium called “OwnBlkCincy.” Dansby, along with organizers Te’Airea Powell, Simone Charles of Social B Hospitality, and Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, brought in more than 750 residents plus a host of elected officials and policymakers, banks, community organizers and resource providers. “The homeownership rate across the country is about 64%, but in Cincinnati, it’s only 38% — and it’s much lower in Black, Brown, and low income areas,” Vice Mayor Kearney said. “Owning real estate is important because it helps to create generational wealth for our families,” she added.
Day 1 of OwnBlkCincy focused on policy to tackle racial bias in appraisals, disproportionately rising property taxes in Black neighborhoods, and reduced housing inventory due to out of state investors. Many organizations such as HUD, the Urban League of Southwestern Ohio, LISC, Price Hill Will, HOME, Homebase, the Port Authority, REIA, United Way, Working in Neighborhoods, and others addressed barriers to homeownership. Day 2 was for residents interested in becoming homeowners, maintaining or remodeling their home, or investing in real estate to build wealth. The second day also included interactive demonstrations on home repairs by ‘Do It Yourself Darlin’. There were almost 30 resource tables in the Wealth Marketplace, to help attendees get more information and even start the homebuying process.
Comedian Mike Epps gives the mic to Mr. Stanford Poole. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Union Savings Bank Vice President Keith Borders chats with Hamilton County Commissioner Vice President Denise Driehaus (center) and Union Savings Bank’s Yasmeen Elagan. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
OwnBlkCincy Founder Darrick Dansby addresses the crowd. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Te’Airea Powell brought in Comedian Mike Epps to speak at lunch on “Buying Back the Block.” Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Councilmember Scotty Johnson chats with Mike Epps. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Mike Epps and Avondale Development Corporation President & CEO Russ Hairston stop for photos. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Vice Mayor Kearney interviews Mike Epps during the OwnBlkCincy lunch. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Hamilton County Commissioner President Alicia Reece and Vice Mayor Kearney talk with some of the drummers organized by the Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy in the West End. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Te’Airea Powell brought in Comedian Mike Epps to speak at lunch on “Buying Back the Block.” Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Lincoln Ware interviews Fifth Third Bank’s Nikki Bialka on racial bias in home appraisals. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Lincoln Ware interviews the only Black president of a Cincinnati bank: Robie Suggs, President & CEO of Warsaw Federal Bank. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
Habitat for Humanity provided affordable homes information at the Wealth Marketplace. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
U.S. Congressman Greg Landsman encourages homeownership and wealth building. Credit: Michael Mitchell 
First Financial Bank provides one of the resource tables in the Wealth Marketplace. Credit: Michael Mitchell
Some of the speakers were U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (virtually), and in person, Mayor Aftab Pureval and City Manager Shery Long, U.S. Congressman Greg Landsman, State Sen. Cathy Ingram, State Sen. Louis W. Blessing, State Rep. Cecil Thomas, and Hamilton County Commissioner President Alicia Reece. The keynote speaker at lunch on policy day was Anthony Forté, the Regional Field Director for HUD. Day 2’s lunchtime presenter was Comedian Mike Epps, a crowd favorite.
Lincoln Ware of WDBZ broadcast “The Lincoln Ware Show” live from the event on Friday, and Ebony J of the WIZ took over on Saturday, keeping the energy high.
Attendees gained valuable knowledge to drive positive change in their lives and in their communities. Thanks to the generosity of the presenting sponsors, Union Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bank, title sponsors, Fifth Third Bank and First Financial Bank, and many other supporters, the two-day event was free and open to the public. Please see the full list of sponsors and partners in the thank you ad.
OwnBlkCincy organizers are planning follow-up monthly events. For more information, call (513) 352-5205.