opinion
I came to Ohio from Washington, D.C. in 2007 to take a job at the University of Dayton School of Law. Previously, I lived in San Diego, Baltimore, Trenton, Boston, Pensacola, and Seoul, Korea. Due to the flexibility of my work schedule, I had the option of living in Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus or anywhere in between.
I first became aware of Wyoming by flipping through Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. I have two children so the most important question for me in picking my new home was high school rankings. Both Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, rank Wyoming High School consistently in the top 100 nationally and top 2 within the state Ohio. Arguably, it is the number one school district in the state, as Walnut Hills is just one school.
Since my home-buying decision was driven by high school rankings and not necessarily by who actually lives in the community, I thought it might be a good idea to actually visit Wyoming to see what the people were like. My first stop was the Wyoming Newcomers Club. This is a group of people dedicated to welcoming new folks into the neighborhood. I attended this meeting even though I had yet to buy my house. I did this because I wanted to see how folks would treat me and my family. I was pleasantly surprised at how genuinely happy people were to see me and how each one encouraged me to move to Wyoming.
Fast forward a few years and my children are thriving in the Wyoming school system, and my wife has completed her term as the Parent School Association president. Meanwhile, I found myself knee-deep in community activities ranging from coaching my daughter’s Lego League and volleyball teams to chairing MayFete, our annual school fundraiser, and playing over-40 basketball (where many should have given up the game a long time ago).
In 2017, I eventually summoned up the courage to run for office and, surprisingly, I received the second-highest number of votes. In Wyoming, the top seven are seated on City Council. I enjoyed my role as a member of council so much that, two years later, I ran for reelection, receiving the highest number of votes of all the candidates. Following tradition, my fellow members of City Council elected me mayor, making me the first African American mayor in the city’s history. I should add that African Americans only make up 11% of the population.
Now that is my story.
I submit this article not to speak for all African Americans in Wyoming. I can’t do that. I can only tell you my story.
And it’s important to note that I am not writing this to say that Wyoming is perfect. No place is, and I have lived on the West Coast, East Coast and in the South. Wyoming, like the rest of the United States, has work to do on race, and we are doing that one step at a time.
More: Opinion: Dismantling systemic white supremacy is hard
Last week, after hearing from residents, I created a task force to explore our current systems to make sure that there are no outdated practices or policies resulting in a disparate impact. Yet, even with all this, I can honestly say I would not want to raise my kids in any other place. And, after years of living many different places, I’m happy to call Wyoming home – a place that I want to make an investment in.
Thaddeus Hoffmeister is the first African American mayor of the city of Wyoming. He is a professor at the University of Dayton School of Law and board member of SORTA, the region's transit authority. An attorney and published author, Hoffmeister worked on Capitol Hill and clerked for the Honorable Anne E. Thompson, U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey.
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July 13, 2020 at 10:03PM
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Opinion: No place I'd rather raise my kids than Wyoming - The Cincinnati Enquirer
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