Yvonka M. Hall is a candidate for Ohio State Representative District 12. She was raised by her maternal grandparents after the 1974 murder of her mother Yvonne Boston Hall. Her passion for serving is rooted in tragedy, the murder of her youngest brother Antoine Hall at a local eatery and the murder of her childhood friend Tracy Richburg Thomas fuel her commitment to addressing social justice and policy issues. Her grandfather was the first African American Supervisor in Warrensville Heights Ohio. She has lived in Cleveland’s Ward 1 community for over 40 years.
She is the first person in her immediate family to graduate high school and earn a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree. She holds and BA in political science from Notre Dame College of Ohio and an MPA in public policy from Texas Southern University. She is the founder of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition the first coalition in the state of Ohio dedicated to addressing African American health disparities. She is a graduate of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Ladder to Leadership - Developing the Next Generation of Community Health Leaders; Neighborhood Leadership Institute and Neighborhood Leadership Development Program. She has distinguished herself as a staunch advocate for the community. In 2016 she became an official part of the Black Berners, donating office furniture to the Eastside office and allowing the campaign to use her house as a campaign station. She has served as the Outreach Director for the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus since its founding and has lead progressive initiatives focused on empowering the community including the Fight for $15, the opening of Public Square to transit riders and vehicles, marching with Black Lives Matter at Tim McGinty's home, offering testimony to city council against The Q Deal, recording a commercial in support of Issue 2, serving as a speaker for the Women's March, speaking out about the foreclosure crisis on Cleveland's eastside, serving as the moderator for the Tax Day March and working with MoveOn.org on their United Against Hate Campaign.
She has created cutting edge programs designed to give voice to the voiceless. Her local conversation on the Department of Justice was a catalyst in the creation of the consent decree. Not one to shy from tough topics she created the State of Disparities in the African American Community in 2015 to address issues that impact the community.
She co-founded the Cleveland Lead Safe Network and organization focused on ensuring that homes are lead safe before children move into them. This lead the drafting of the City if Cleveland Ordinance 990.
She serves on the board of a number of local and national organizations including the Great Lakes Region V Health Equity Council for Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health; Ohio Healthy Homes Network, Columbus, OH.; Cleveland Lead Safe Network and Multiethnic Advocates for Cultural Competency (MACC) Columbus, OH. She is also a member of the National Council of Negro Women Cuyahoga County Section; A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus where she serves as the Outreach Director. She has received national recognition for her work including three Congressional awards, Cheerios Sister Saving Hearts Award; the American Heart Association Diversity Impact Award; Congressional Black Caucus; the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan - Nuestra Familia Award and numerous others.
Yvonka is a proud mother to Samario Antoine and grandmother of Sebastian August. She is a member of Garfield Memorial Church in Pepper Pike.
MEET YVONKA
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