GUIDED BY THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
SUBMITTIONS
& RECOGNITIONS
Here you’ll find the materials I’ve formally submitted to archives, institutions, or public collections — as well as any exhibitions or recognitions tied to my work.
These submissions are part of a larger goal: to make sure the lives and stories of Black families, especially my own, are preserved in the spaces where history is recorded. This page serves as a public record of that contribution.
Mattie Kinney’s Impact on Avondale
Submitted To: Avondale Neighborhood History Initiative (ANHI)
Type: Archival Newspaper Articles (1960s–1970s)
Description:
This submission documents the life and community impact of Mattie Bell Kinney, a civil rights activist, health advocate, and neighborhood organizer in Avondale.
Through a collection of newspaper articles, the submission highlights her leadership in racial equity, cancer awareness, youth mentorship, and neighborhood beautification — including her co-chairing of Cincinnati’s Interracial Home Visit Day and her role in establishing cancer screening clinics in underserved communities. Her work represents a lasting legacy of service and resilience in Avondale’s history.
Sherman Kinney Jr. – A Pioneer in Black Entrepreneurship in Avondale
Submitted To: Avondale Neighborhood History Initiative (ANHI)
Type: Newspaper articles, business advertisements, and historical records
Description:
This submission highlights the legacy of Sherman Kinney Jr., a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and founder of S.K. Janitorial Service — one of Cincinnati’s first Black-owned businesses to secure major corporate and government contracts.
Based in North Avondale, the company grew into a 24-hour operation serving clients like Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Kroger. Co-managed with his wife, Mattie Bell Kinney, the business created jobs, supported youth and women’s workforce training, and helped build pathways to Black economic empowerment in Cincinnati.
Mattie Bell Kinney Feature – @greatmigrationgriot
Platform: Instagram (The Great Migration Griot Project)
Description:
This feature shares the life of my grandmother, Mattie Bell Kinney — from her upbringing in Jim Crow Alabama to her legacy of civil rights, youth advocacy, and women’s health in Cincinnati.
Submitted to The Great Migration Griot Project, the post honors her journey as part of the Great Migration and highlights her impact through community service, health equity, and Black entrepreneurship.
Generations Exhibit – Clifton Cultural Arts Center
Presented by: Clifton Cultural Arts Center (CCAC)
Description:
Three of my photographs were featured in Generations, an exhibition honoring legacy, family, and memory. Each image told a personal story rooted in connection and inheritance:
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Inspirations and Icons — capturing my sister-in-law meeting Patti LaBelle backstage.
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Bonds of Batter and Love — a tender moment between my husband and nephew, sharing a family baking ritual.
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Legacy of Faith — my grandfather standing outside his church of 60+ years on its final service day.
Together, these works reflect my commitment to visual storytelling as a way of preserving everyday moments that carry generational meaning.