By all early accounts, Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman was supposed to be different. Marketed as the GOP’s “new face” with a vision for unity, Bowman was pitched as the conservative who could actually connect with a Democratic-majority city like Cincinnati. But behind the polished branding lies a dangerous indifference to the very community he needs most: Black Cincinnatians.
Despite the fact that Black voters have historically shaped the outcomes of elections in this city, Bowman’s campaign has openly dismissed their relevance. In one tone-deaf statement, his team claimed they didn’t need the Black vote at all — just “God.” That’s not strategy. That’s arrogance.
Bowman’s campaign even went as far as saying there’s “no such thing as a Black community,” insisting the community is “just as much white, Latino, and Asian as it is Black.” This erasure is not only ignorant — it’s harmful. Black Cincinnati has its own lived experiences, its own struggles, and yes, its own voice. To dismiss that is to tell an entire population that their pain doesn’t matter, their stories don’t count, and their issues aren’t worth prioritizing.
Trauma activist Ronald Hummons, whose tireless work advocating for childhood trauma survivors has touched thousands, sat down with Bowman’s camp to address pressing issues: food deserts, underfunded schools, and the deep-rooted trauma that fuels much of the city’s pain. Instead of empathy, he was met with resistance. Bowman’s plan to address violence? Fix the call center. Let that sink in. Not mental health investment. Not trauma-informed education. A call center.
It gets worse. When Hummons focused on the needs of Black children, Bowman’s team accused his actions as racist — for advocating for his own people. And in a disturbing echo of Trump-era rhetoric, they justified the exclusion of Black immigrants by praising Trump’s decision to only bring in “white Africans.” That wasn’t a slip. That was a signal.
In another baffling moment, Bowman claimed that City Council is being dismissive of the voices of the citizens of Cincinnati — which sounds valid until you hear the example he gave. Did he point to the West End? Avondale? Bond Hill? No. His only example was “white people in Hyde Park who don’t want construction in their neighborhood.” Really, Cory? The most glaring example of community dismissal you could find is about privileged homeowners not wanting construction? Black Cincinnatians have been historically ignored, redlined, and pushed to the margins for generations — but Bowman’s focus is on zoning complaints in affluent white enclaves.
Let’s be clear: Trauma is the heartbeat of many of the city’s systemic problems. Crime is rooted in it. Poverty grows from it. Disparities in health and education are shaped by it. Any candidate who does not center trauma, especially in marginalized communities, is not ready to lead this city.
Cincinnati doesn’t need another politician who centers power while ignoring pain. Cory Bowman is not that leader. He doesn’t hear the Black community, and worse — he doesn’t think he needs to.
Cincinnati deserves better. Our children deserve better. And if Bowman believes that dismissing Black issues is the path to leadership, we must respond the only way that matters — at the ballot box.