Barbara ManuEl

My family—my mother, brother, and sister—moved from Garland, Alabama, to Barr Street to live with my aunt when I was six months old. That was the beginning of my Cincinnati story. I grew up in the West End, before they destroyed the entire community. We moved from Barr Street to the Laurel Homes on John Street.

It was a wonderful place to grow up. I had great teachers. I went to Washburn, then to Bloom, and eventually graduated from Taft. I had amazing teachers like Laverne Summerlin, who taught me English for two years.

Because I had people who believed in me, I was able to pursue what I wanted. I graduated from Taft, went on to earn my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and then returned to Cincinnati. The West End is in my heart. It’s difficult to see that what I grew up with no longer exists.

So many people who graduated from Taft have gone on to do outstanding things. When I finished college, I came back, worked a couple of jobs, then went to graduate school. After that, I joined Hamilton County’s Department of Jobs and Family Services and eventually became the Child Welfare Director.

So many of us have it in our hearts to give back to the city and to this community—because of how we were raised in the West End.