Hidden History of Black Cincinnati

Hidden History of Black Cincinnati reveals the untold stories that shaped a city and defined a people.

Long before the Civil Rights Movement or the Harlem Renaissance, Black Cincinnatians were building communities, owning businesses, and resisting injustice in bold and brilliant ways. B.F. Howard and Pullman Porter Arthur J. Riggs co-founded the international organization now known as the Black Elks, and Margaret Garner’s tragic flight to freedom inspired Toni Morrison’s Beloved and ignited national debates on slavery. Celebrated painter Robert S. Duncanson rose to international acclaim in the nineteenth century despite the limitations of race.

Writer, historian, and cultural advocate Kareem A. Simpson unearths these powerful stories and more with clarity and care, offering a rich portrait of a city’s soul and the Black lives that shaped it.

Kareem A. Simpson is an author and cultural historian whose work centers on Black identity, memory, and innovation. He is the author of several books, including Chronicles of a Boy Misunderstood, Mindshift: Unleashing Bold Creativity in Leadership, and The Curse of the Color Indigo. Kareem is also a civic leader serving on multiple boards and commissions and advocating for educational equity and cultural preservation. His work blends storytelling, leadership, and legacy to spark meaningful change.