The Center for Community Solutions joins the Greater Cleveland community and the world in mourning the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and too many others at the hands of law enforcement. It is an all too familiar and cruel ritual – one that’s well known to those of us in Greater Cleveland. For it was just six years ago that 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by officers of the Cleveland Division of Police.. What is clear is that our law enforcement officers – who are tasked with serving and protecting us all – are in many cases failing to protect – and sometimes actively harming – our Black and brown neighbors. Black and brown lives should matter to all of us. Learn more here.

When Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the Responsible Restart Ohio plan, outlining the state’s efforts to slowly revise the public health orders for COVID-19. After facing significant pressure and criticism from some in the business community, these changes reflected the administration’s efforts to balance the dual imperatives of proactive public health measures with the economic challenges of decreased consumer activity, which includes state sales tax collection. The mortality risk of virus is still high and likely will be until more is understood about transmission rate, immunity and, ultimately, a vaccine is widely available. With reports of other states seeing their case rates climb, and the recent resignation of Dr. Amy Acton from her post as the Director of the Ohio Department of Health, it may be worthwhile to look at where Ohio is in terms of its own numbers and to determine which metrics can help us understand the success of the administration’s choices in the long term. Learn more here.