Living for We Podcast

In 2020, Bloomberg CityLAB published a study from Pittsburgh researchers that ranked Cleveland dead last in terms of livability for Black women. In a city with a majority Black population, this dropped like a bomb and reactions were mixed.

On this groundbreaking podcast Living for We, we talk to Cleveland's Black women about their experiences at work, at school, in the doctor's office, and in community with each other in an attempt to answer the question... is Cleveland really as bad as they say it is for Black women? We talk to Black women from all walks of life to try and make sense of this data.

This Ideastream Public Media podcast is part of the Connecting the Dots between Race and Health project and addresses livability metrics and recent findings surrounding the health and wellness challenges faced by Black women in Northeast Ohio.

Hosted by Ideastream's Marlene Harris-Taylor, it features the lived experiences of Black women from all walks of life including, Samaria Rice – the mother of Tamir Rice, former television news anchor Romona Robinson, the new CEO of MetroHealth system Arica Steed and many more.
We share stories from Black women as changemakers and architects of their own futures, celebrating their victories, challenges, and connections with other Black women.

  • Marlene Harris-Taylor
    Director
  • Hannah Rae Leach
    Writer
  • Marlene Harris-Taylor
    Writer
  • Hannah Rae Leach
    Producer
  • Marlene Harris-Taylor
    Key Cast
    "Host"
  • Project Type:
    Other
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    200,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    audio
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Various podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Marlene Harris-Taylor

Marlene Harris-Taylor, the host and executive producer of the Living for We podcast, is a veteran journalist and public media host.
As the director of engaged journalism, Marlene currently directs community-focused news coverage for Ideastream Public Media, the NPR/PBS affiliate in Cleveland Ohio. In this role she helps to identify issues of importance to various communities across Northeast Ohio, including under-resourced communities, and leads journalism initiatives that address opportunities identified in and by those communities.
She also contributes to the overall editorial direction of Ideastream Public Media by managing a team of reporters and editors who inform the public about major health issues.
She also manages the Connecting the Dots between Race and Health project which birthed the Living for We podcast. The podcast was inspired by the 2020 Pittsburgh study that ranked Cleveland dead last in terms of livability for Black women. It attempts to answer the question ... is Cleveland really as bad as they say for Black women?
Prior to moving into her current role, she was the managing producer for the health team and a senior health reporter at Ideastream. Marlene has had a wide and varied career as a journalist and has earned numerous journalism awards. She was a producer for NPR’s Morning Edition program and the Medical Editor for the Toledo Blade newspaper. Marlene hosted an award-winning public affairs program on WBGU-PBS where she was nominated for a regional Emmy for producing and writing the Hines Farm Blues Club documentary.
Marlene is an Association of Health Care Journalists Board member and a Board member for the Press Club of Cleveland. She is member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Cleveland chapter of the association of Black journalists.
She is a graduate of The Ohio State University and has a master’s degree from Miami University of Ohio.

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