SUCCESS
What it took to bring ‘I Wish I Had a Daddy’ to Dayton
Tiffany Countryman's revival of I Wish I Had a Daddy! filled the Dayton Convention Center on September 19, and contributor Te'Jal Cartwright of LORE Storytelling was in the room. Her review traces how Countryman grew the play from her own story in 2018, sharpened it during three years at The Human Race Theatre Company, and pulled off a beautiful show through sound glitches and a budget that left little room for rehearsal. Cartwright also asks a hard question. With Montgomery County's 2026 Artist Opportunity Grants totaling $68,284 across 16 artists, how much are we really investing in the people who make Dayton's art?
Amplified Voices
A CONVERSATION WITH ANTOINETTE HAMPTON
Antoinette Hampton knows that when working families are trying to keep food on the table and the lights on, planning for the future falls down the list. In a conversation with DWN Publisher RoShawn Winburn, the executive director of Families Flourish of the Miami Valley explained why her new organization commits to five families for three full years, with housing support, a personal life coach, and the tools to build income, credit, and careers. Her goal is for families to keep going on their own once the help ends, and to pass that stability down through the generations.
Xenia Annexes Central State University
Central State University's 327-acre main campus is now officially inside Xenia city limits, a move President Morakinyo A.O. Kuti expects to save the university $250,000 to $400,000 a year on water and sewer surcharges. Employees who work on the main campus, but live outside Xenia, will now pay the city's 2.25% income tax, and the university's Dayton location is not part of the deal.
The Business of Black Outrage
On September 22, a grand jury declined to bring charges in the Nolan Wells case, and staff writer Imari Burton says the cycle that follows is painfully familiar. From Jayland Walker in Akron to a Toledo man sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for defrauding about 18,000 donors under the Black Lives Matter name, Ohio has seen up close how tragedy can turn into headlines, ad campaigns, and fundraising that rarely reach the community. Burton's challenge to Miami Valley readers is to move from reaction to organization, strategy, and action.
Real Estate by
THE GREATER DAYTON REALTISTS ASSOCIATION
Realtist Corner brings you news and insight from the Greater Dayton Realtist Association, the local chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). Since NAREB's founding, Realtists have worked under the banner of "Democracy in Housing," helping Black families buy homes, build equity, and hold onto property across generations. Each week, GDRA members share what they see on the ground: homeownership tips, market updates, development opportunities, and listings from agents who know our neighborhoods.
BRINGING SHIBA HOME
Black Ohioans own their homes at about half the rate of white Ohioans, 37 percent compared with 73 percent, and one in five Black Ohioans lives in a household spending at least half its income on housing. GDRA is using NAREB's State of Housing in Black America report to ask what those numbers mean for Dayton families, and how education, fair housing, and trusted professionals can close the gap.
CONGRATULATIONS GRADS!
The Greater Dayton Realtist Association congratulates Tammy Dixon, Ke'Mo A'Akhutera, and Tanisha Burns-Martin on graduating from the GDRA Developers Academy. Their achievement adds new Black developers to the work of building and shaping Dayton's neighborhoods.
CONSTRUCTION IS A PATH
Michael D. Manuel's construction students at Ponitz Career Technology Center beat out schools including Centerville, Kettering, and Stebbins, with both of his teams placing first in a competition of more than 700 students. As President and CEO of D.O.I.T. Community Development Corporation, Manuel is training young people to see construction as a path to owning businesses as well as earning paychecks.
HELP WITH CRITICAL REPAIRS
A City of Dayton Sustainability Office pilot program helps small-scale local landlords cover critical repairs in rental homes, including furnace and water-heater replacements, insulation, and structural fixes. The program was highlighted at a recent Greater Dayton Realtist Association meeting, along with Dayton Energy Collaborative home-repair resources and financing options for first-time buyers.
Local Empowerment
OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunity Board is where Dayton Weekly News gathers the week's openings you can act on right now: grants, scholarships, jobs, contract bids, free workshops, and programs that help our families and businesses grow. Every item is checked by our editorial staff for dates, deadlines, and contact details before it runs, with priority given to opportunities closing soon. Our focus is the Dayton region first, with openings from Cincinnati and Columbus when they are worth the drive.
📢 PARITY SEEKS TOP 10 AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE NOMINATIONS
Parity Inc. is accepting nominations for its 2027 Top 10 African American Males through Monday, October 19. Since 1994, the honor has recognized Greater Dayton men with strong professional credentials and a record of community service. Know a man who has given back to his family, community, or profession? Submit a nomination at https://parityinc.jotform.com/262516072861962. Questions go to Parity Inc. at (937) 985-9025 or [email protected].
📢 LIBRARY OFFERS JOB SEEKER WORKSHOPS
Dayton Metro Library and Clothes That Work are offering three free lunch-hour sessions this month, from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Main Library's Center for Community Impact & Innovation: Interviewing 101 (Oct. 9), Resume Rescue (Oct. 16), and Navigating a Job Search (Oct. 23). Job seekers can sharpen their pitch, build a resume that gets past applicant tracking systems, and organize a smarter search. Registration is required at DaytonMetroLibrary.org.
📢 NBMAA HOSTING AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP TRAINING
The Dayton Chapter of the National Black MBA Association is hosting "Unleashing Your Authentic Leadership" on Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Presenter Ivy B. Glover, CDP®, CCUFC, will lead a 60-minute session on building trust, influence, and leadership presence. An MBA is not required for participation, but registration is. To attend, get the Zoom link at NBMBAAdayton.org/events.
A Final Note
THE WORLD IS COLD
The world is cold,
But keep your head held high.
Keep your heart of gold
And reach toward the sky.
When life knocks you down,
Rise up and face the day.
Look toward the horizon—
There is still a better way.
When love is forgotten
And hope is bought and sold,
Remember there is still a light
When everything feels cold.
Mama lost her baby,
Dad was wounded by the pain.
But Yahweh knows their sorrow
And hears them call His name.
The world may break your heart,
But God's love has no end.
You are His greatest treasure;
He will be your faithful friend.
The world is cold,
But God's love keeps burning bright.
When darkness surrounds you,
He will lead you to the light.
Until next time,
Stay Informed. Stay Engaged. Build Together.
