Profiles In Courage recognizes the resilience and courage of local African Americans who have met life's challenges head on - and won. Honorees are selected through an open nomination process. We will profile the honorees on Channel 9 throughout the month of February and present them with a gift at a special reception. It's important to tell the stories of everyday people who have withstood adversity with tenacity and courage. They serve as role models for those who may be in similar circumstances. They are inspirations for the young people and they are reminders to all of us of what courage means and what perseverance renders.
Diane Jordan-Grizzard  Click here to watch this Profile In CourageDiane Jordan-Grizzard serves as Chief Operating Officer of Beech Acres Parenting Center where she manages five business units, including Community and Therapeutic Services and For the Love of Kids Parenting Education. At Beech Acres Parent Center, Ms. Jordan-Grizzard uses her considerable talent and experience as a human rights advocate and promoter of diversity to ensure that the Parenting Center embraces the unique and valuable gifts brought to the agency by each staff member, volunteer, foster parent or contractor. Beyond her work at Beech Acres, Ms. Jordan-Grizzard is an active community member and leads by example. She is a mentor for young African-American children who aspire to attend college and has promoted diversity in Greater Cincinnati dating back to 1976 when she started the first citywide Kwanza event. She is also a member of a monthly community-based book club for over 12 years and a grassroots community initiative called “Women’s Speak,” a series of luncheons with mothers whose children are faced with violence in their neighborhoods. She is currently working on two books, one of which is a historical work of fiction chronicling life in Liberia, West Africa, and the other is a heart-felt, hopeful account of the challenges of raising African American sons in America, a subject she knows well as the mother of two boys and “bonus” mom to six other children.
James Johnson Click here to watch this Profile In CourageDespite growing up in two of Cincinnati’s housing projects, James Johnson was a straight A student at Hays Elementary and performed well at Walnut Hills High School. After high school, he graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1970 and then UC’s College of Law in 1980. He worked for the City of the Cincinnati Solicitor’s Office for most of his career and also served for six years as Chief Investigator for the Office of Municipal Investigations. His endearing service to the public has only been overshadowed by his commitment to his family and to young people who desire to practice law. In 1988, Mr. Johnson created the Summer Work Experience in Law (SWEL) program, which offers high school and college students the opportunity to gain hands-on introductory experience in the legal profession. Through SWEL, Mr. Johnson has helped to develop nearly 50 attorneys and 15 current law students in schools including the University of Cincinnati College of Law, The Ohio State University School of Law and Yale. Mr. Johnson retired from the Solicitor’s Office in 2005 but his commitment to the community made that short-lived. He now serves in the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Offices in its juvenile court division.
Margaret Long Click here to watch this Profile In CourageAfter being shot just shy of her 19th birthday and left her confined to a wheelchair, Margaret Long insisted that her family not retaliate against the shooter, her then-boyfriend’s father, Arthur Phelps. Ms. Long made a conscious decision to make the most of her situation and not allow her life to be limited by her paralysis. She learned to skydive, began to model and competed in the Ms. Wheelchair Pageant. She also regularly attends group sessions for Out of the Crossfire, where she provides support for other shooting victims. Ms. Long’s tenacity and capacity for love was tested again almost 16 years to the day of that fateful night, when she saw her shooter on television with the head of the Cincinnati Police Department, Chief Thomas Streicher. They were discussing Mr. Phelps' work with two anti-gun violence programs, CeaseFire Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence. Ms. Long requested a meeting with him and made the difficult and courageous decision to forgive him. Since that meeting, Ms. Long has become one of CeaseFire’s most committed volunteers, including participating in anti-gun violence school assemblies across Cincinnati with her shooter. The two have forged a most unexpected friendship, uniting for a common goal—making the community safer by calling for an end to gun violence.
William Mallory, Sr. Click here to watch this Profile In CourageAn early interest in newspapers and discussions with Dr. R.P. McClain, the second Black city councilman in Cincinnati, propelled West End resident William L. Mallory, Sr. into a lifetime of service to the community. He worked as a unit leader for the Juvenile Court, as a caseworker for the Hamilton County Welfare Department, a highway inspector and elementary school teacher in the Cincinnati Public Schools. In 1965, he was elected president of the West End Community Council. In 1966, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, the beginning of a 28-year career in the Ohio legislature. He was the first African American to hold the position of Majority Floor Leader. In 1994, Mr. Mallory retired as the longest serving majority leader in Ohio’s history and the longest serving Ohio Representative from Hamilton County. During his service in the General Assembly, Mr. Mallory sponsored or co-sponsored over 600 pieces of legislation, including the first state-wide drug prevention program, the Urban Minority Alcohol Drug Outreach Program. His legislation also helped finance Riverfront Stadium and Fountain Square South in Cincinnati and created the Home Furlough Program for Non-Violent Prisoners. Not content to rest on his laurels, Mr. Mallory has been active since his retirement, founding the Mallory Center for Community Development, a non-profit agency in Cincinnati, as well as the African American Historical Ball, an annual event honoring great African Americans.
Judge John Andrew West Click here to watch this Profile In CourageJudge West began his service to the community by teaching in the Cincinnati Public School system. He then went to work for a local company and eventually obtained his law degree. Judge West then opened his own legal practice and began working to represent individuals in criminal and civil matters. After over 25 years running a successful private practice, Judge West was chosen to join the Municipal Court of Hamilton County. Judge West later moved to the Court of Common Pleas, where he serves today. His outstanding commitment to the Greater Cincinnati and legal communities has made him a sought-after speaker on issues of legal professionalism and proper decorum. He also serves as a mentor to several young and junior lawyers. His service to the community includes service on the Hamilton County Public Defender Commission, the City of Cincinnati Civil Service Commission and the Hamilton County Criminal Justice Task Force.
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