By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Starting the conversation was usually difficult. Continuing the discussion often proved emotionally draining.

But nearly a year after "Neighbor to Neighbor" concluded a five-month series of community meetings, many Greater Cincinnatians are still talking about race.

The formal Neighbor to Neighbor program ended earlier this year, but conversations about how to bridge the racial gap have continued in dozens of Tristate neighborhoods.

Learn about the program

The initiative was launched last fall by The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com and social service and education groups to promote frank talk about race relations in the wake of the April 2001 riots.

More than 145 conversations about race were held in nearly every Greater Cincinnati neighborhood. Nearly 2,100 people met in church basements, crowded living rooms and school libraries to share personal stories of racial slights and discrimination.

"We had a group of volunteers who really took control of this project and now it is taking on a life of its own that is separate and independent from what the Enquirer helped start," said James Jackson, director of new media for the newspaper. "There is clearly enough interest, enthusiasm and talent for this to be reborn and continue in some form or fashion."

Mr. Jackson said it has been difficult to track all the various community activities that have splintered from the original Neighbor to Neighbor program. A number of communities are conducting their own monthly meetings and discussion groups, he said. Some neighborhoods have held community picnics and parades.

Two research groups are examining ways to refine the Neighbor to Neighbor program. And several of the initiative's original organizers are working to turn Neighbor to Neighbor into a nonprofit organization that would help communities continue their dialogues and craft solutions to various racial problems.

"I don't think Neighbor to Neighbor will ever be able to do the work for these communities or provide logistical or tactical support," said Mr. Jackson.

"But we are well-positioned to be a resource center for connecting communities that want to tackle issues in a certain way. We can be an information provider and a catalyst for people to take action at a local level."

The program has already inspired grassroots activity in many communities.

In Mount Healthy, members of the predominantly white St. Stephen Episcopal Church held a "welcome to the neighborhood" barbecue for members of the predominantly African-American congregation of Inspirational Baptist Church, which had relocated there from Walnut Hills. Members of the two churches are regularly attending each other's worship services and are contemplating pulpit exchanges and combining community outreach efforts.

"None of that would have happened if it wasn't for Neighbor to Neighbor," said Robin Hendley, a Finneytown resident and member of St. Stephen's. "It served as a catalyst to meld two churches that have very different ways of approaching worship and that might not have gotten together otherwise."

Residents of Pleasant Ridge, Kennedy Heights, Silverton, Sycamore Township and Deer Park are continuing to meet each month in groups of about 20 to 30 people to discuss race relations.

The groups have invited speakers such as Juleana Frierson of the Cincinnati Black United Front and Karla Irvine of Housing Opportunities Made Equal to talk about problem areas. A former Tuskegee airman even met with the group to discuss his experience with racism and discrimination.

Dinners are often held for smaller groups in individuals' homes and this past summer the group held a community softball and soccer game at Pleasant Ridge Park that drew about 200 people.

"We are getting good dialogue from people and we are getting to know one another as friends," said Ruth Snouffer, a volunteer from Sycamore Township. "I believe that is where you have to start."

Thelma Massey, 65, of Springdale, applauds efforts to keep Neighbor to Neighbor going, but added the program must evolve if it plans to have a significant impact on race relations. Ms. Massey, an African-American, has been a key volunteer with the program, acting as both a moderator and member of the steering committee.

"We have to move past the flip charts, the meetings and the dialogue and on to action," she said. "We need to get the people at the (street level) who experience racism daily more involved because so far they haven't been.

"We are sitting down at the table and trying to solve problems and we don't even know what the problems are."

Roger Stephens, a Newport resident and Neighbor to Neighbor volunteer, has been working to bring the Neighbor to Neighbor model into inner-city and suburban schools.

A year ago, Mr. Stephens facilitated a session with members of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers. In October, he conducted a session with ninth- and 10th-graders at Hughes Center in Clifton.

Mr. Stephens said there needs to be a clear definition of what constitutes action.

"To some people action might be having an ethnic food dinner, but most of us are looking for fundamental changes in neighborhood development, shopping areas and drug programs," Mr. Stephens said.

"A lot of people are trying to continue the discussions which have been helpful in changing attitudes. But some of us remain unconvinced that they actually lead to actions and we would like to see some definitive progress."

E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com