Dwight Tillery

Dwight Tillery (born March 10, 1948) is an American politician and social justice activist with more than 50 years of service working towards equity for African Americans and other minorities in politics, business and public health. His leadership transformed the lives of Black residents in the city of Cincinnati in the areas of racial justice, education, civics, community health and politics. Tillery was the first popularly elected Black Mayor in Cincinnati, Ohio, serving from 1991 to 1993, and he served on Cincinnati City Council for eight years. Tillery co-founded the United Black Students Association at the University of Cincinnati, was the Founder, President and CEO of The Center for Closing the Health Gap, and co-founded The Black Agenda of Cincinnati. Tillery also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and at Miami University.

Early life

Tillery grew up in Cincinnati's West End and Evanston<ref name=":5">Furlow, Bill.  “Dwight Tillery: neighborhoods are on his mind.” The Cincinnati Post, August 26, 1975, p. 9.</ref> and attended public schools, graduating from Withrow High School in 1966.<ref name=":9">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

Tillery received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Cincinnati in 1970.<ref name=":9"/><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> At UC he co-founded the United Black Association,<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> now the United Black Students Association, one of the first Black organizations to receive funding from the university.<ref name=":2" /> Tillery and his classmates’ activism was instrumental in the foundation of UC's African American Studies department and recruitment of Black faculty members and trustees.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Tillery and other members of the association pushed for creation of an African American Cultural and Resource Center, which would finally be established in 1990.<ref name=":2" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tillery received his Juris Doctor at University of Michigan Law School in 1972.<ref name=":9"/><ref name=":6">Template:Cite web</ref>  He also received an Honorary Doctorate of Technical Letters from Cincinnati Technical College in 1992.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Tillery is licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio, as well as the Federal District Court, the Sixth Circuit Appellate Court, and the United States Supreme Court.<ref name=":9"/>   He joined the law firm of Waite, Schneider, Bayless and Chesley Co., L.P.A. in 1991,<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref> and was the founding  partner at the law firm of Tillery and Associates in 1977.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref>  He served as Assistant Solicitor for the City of Cincinnati from 1973 to 1974<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> and as Senior Assistant Attorney General of Ohio, 1983 to 1985.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />  He was also a consultant for the Office of Attorney General, Columbus in 1985.<ref name=":4" />  He served for 2 years as the Vice President of the National Bar Association.<ref name=":9"/> He was a delegate to the 6th Circuit Judicial Conference from 1981 to 1985.Template:Citation needed  Tillery co-founded the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati in 1974.Template:Citation needed  He was elected twice as Vice President of the National Bar Association.<ref name=":9"/>

Tillery was an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law and an assistant professor of African American Studies at the University of Cincinnati from 1975 to 1977,<ref name=":9"/><ref name=":4" /> where he created the groundbreaking course “The Law and Black People,"<ref name=":3" /> and he was an assistant professor of Business Law at Miami University in 1985.<ref name=":4" />  He also served as University of Cincinnati Vice President from 1974 to 1977,<ref name=":4" /> and as Law School Consultant for UC from 1977 to 1978.<ref name=":4" />  The Tillery Fellowship was established in 2016 to recognize and support Master's of Public Health students dedicated to improving public and community health for vulnerable populations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tillery became the first popularly elected Mayor of the city of Cincinnati in 1991 and served until 1993.<ref name=":9"/><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":10">Leavy, Walter. (1992, March). New Black mayors take charge; 'a new beginning' in Memphis, a big victory in Cincinnati." Ebony, Vol. 47, no. 5. P. 106. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A11840216/AONE?u=txshracd2542&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=18d18226</ref>  As Mayor, he established a task force on small business.<ref>Peale, Cliff (1992, November 23). Tillery's report card. Cincinnati Business Courier (Vol. 9, Issue 28). link.gale.com/apps/doc/A13270160/GBIB?u=txshracd2542&sid=bookmark-GBIB&xid=a0d7c5a5</ref>  He was elected as Mayor after serving for ten months as a member of the Cincinnati City Council. He again served on the Cincinnati City Council from 1993 to 1998.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8" /> He served as the Chair of the City Council's Finance Committee, Vice Chair of the Law and Public Safety Committee and a member of the Community Development, Housing and Zoning Committee.<ref name=":8" /> A major focus of Tillery's political career was to increase involvement of the Black community in economic, political, and educational development.<ref name=":10" />  As Mayor, he created the Mayor's Commission on Children, Reshaping Youth Priorities, which was the first anti-violence initiative targeting youth offered by the Cincinnati Health Department.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He played a key role in establishing a venture capital fund of eleven million dollars for African American businesses, and he assisted in establishing a mentoring program for minority businesses.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>“Small Business Division Opens, City Hall.” The Cincinnati Post, April 29, 1993.</ref><ref>“Investment Venture Capital for Black Business Lead by Mayor Tillery.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, December 21, 1992.</ref><ref name=":11">Template:Cite web</ref> One of the most significant businesses started through these efforts was the Blue Chip Broadcasting Company, which ultimately licensed 13 radio stations which was valued at $188 million when it merged with the Urban One family of companies in 1995.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>“James Brown may revive music Landmark”  The Cincinnati Post, June 4, 1997, p. 33.</ref> Mayor Tillery also enabled the first-time appointments of minorities to the operating boards of the OHIO Gas & Electric Co. and the Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company.<ref name=":11" /> As a City Council member, Tillery founded Grassroots Academy, an organization which taught hundreds of people of “low to moderate income” leadership skills, strategic planning, understanding government and identifying resources, thus empowering residents to help their communities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>  In response to concerns that the Avondale Community (a predominantly Black neighborhood) did not have a grocery store, Tillery persuaded City Council to provide the resources to a group of Avondale ministers interested in revitalizing the Avondale Town Center.<ref>“Shopping center key to rebirth: Avondale Town Center target for organizers.” The Cincinnati Post, September 1, 1994, p. 13A.</ref> He also negotiated the appointment of Cincinnati's first Black Assistant Police Chief.<ref>“Dwight Tillery negotiated the appointment of Cincinnati’s first Black Assistant Police Chief.” The Cincinnati Herald, July 11, 1998.</ref>

In 2004, Tillery founded The Center for Closing the Health Gap in order to address significant health differences between African American, Latino and White Appalachian populations.  The Center quickly gained national acclaim as a model for addressing health disparities.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref> Tillery served as Founder, President and CEO until 2019.<ref name=":9"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>  The center works with more than 100  different organizations, including the City Council, the Cincinnati chapter of the National Action Network, the Baptist Ministers Conference, and the Black Nurses Association of Greater Cincinnati as well as a host of other universities, hospitals, government associations and businesses. Some of the center's initiatives include the Do Right! Campaign which works with individuals to adopt healthier lifestyle choices regarding diet and exercise, the Cincinnati Fresh Food Retail Financing Fund and the City of Cincinnati Food Access Task force, which works to address the issue of food deserts in the city,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and an Annual Health Expo attended by thousands<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which provides free health screenings for early detection of more than 20 health issues.<ref name=":12" /> The center also works to raise awareness of health disparities, increase cultural competency and encourage diversity in the health care provider work force.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2016, Tillery was the co-convener of The Black Agenda Cincinnati.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>  Among other things, the Black Agenda partnered with The Cincinnati Herald newspaper to create Cincinnati Black History, a digital platform that provides a space for people to “share and preserve unfiltered stories of Black Heritage.”<ref>“Cincinnati’s Black community and their untold stories.” The Cincinnati Herald, Nov. 17, 2017.</ref>

Appointments

Assistant City Solicitor, Cincinnati<ref name=":5" />

Fellow Member, Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation 1974-1975Template:Citation needed

Assistant Executive Vice President for Administration and Associate University Council 1974<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />

Adjunct assistant professor of law and adjunct assistant professor of Afro-American Studies 1975-1977<ref name=":5" />

Vice Chair, Cincinnati Human Rights Commission 1975-1980<ref name=":6" />

Member, Cincinnati Board Health 1976-1980<ref name=":6" />

Chair, Cincinnati Board of Health's Advisory Council on Youth Violence 1991-1993<ref name=":8" />

Vice Chair, Ohio State Personnel Board of Review – 2009-2012<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Member, Board of Directors, W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association (NMA) Health Institute 2012<ref name=":4" />

Host, “The Calling” talk show on Radio One 2018–2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 

Member, Guiding Coalition, Urban League of Southwestern Ohio<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Community Engagement, W. Montague Cobb/National Medical Association (NMA) Health Institute 2015-2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Trustee, Retirement Board of the City of Cincinnati *DATES*  <CNCLBLRB>  Can we get this from Dwight?<ref name=":8" />

Vice President, National Bar Association<ref name=":9" />

Awards

1992 honorary degree from Cincinnati Technical College<ref name=":7" />

1992 University of Cincinnati President's Award for Excellence<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

1992 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Equal Opportunity Center, Ohio Department of Administrative Services<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2014 Center for Clinical and Transitional Science and Training Community Health Advocate Award<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2015 Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio Glorifying the Lions honoree<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2016 Georgia E. Beasley Legacy Award, University of Cincinnati<ref name=":3" />

Memberships

• Fellow, American Bar Association<ref name=":4" />
• Lifetime member, National Bar Association<ref name=":4" />
• Member, Cincinnati Bar Association<ref name=":4" />
• Member, Association of Trial Lawyers of America<ref name=":4" />
• Founder and Member, Black Lawyers Association Cincinnati<ref name=":4" />
• Member, University of Cincinnati Men of Metro Service Honorary, 1969
• Omicron Delta Kappa National Honorary Society, University of Cincinnati<ref name=":5" />
• Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges<ref name=":5" />