<p>West End Stories Project Presents Alexis Kidd, Executive Director of Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses, one of the Library’s many community partners.</p><p>Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses is one of the last neighborhood houses or settlement houses in Cincinnati. Founded in 1945, Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses provides basic needs assistance, advocacy for victims of crime and trauma, youth programming, events, community development, and more.</p>

The West End Stories Project captures the experiences of individuals who lived in Cincinnati's West End during the second half of the 20th century for urbanites today who want to know more about the neighborhood’s transformation. 

Cincinnati’s West End was once a vibrant community full of people, opportunities, and excitement. But due to urban renewal projects in the 1950s, the historic West End was largely razed for the creation of interstate I-75 and housing projects. This, combined with segregation, white flight, and redlining decimated this predominantly Black community, and the community still hasn’t recovered. Today, gentrification and other development projects are forcing many longtime residents out of the neighborhood again.  
 
If you or someone you know lived or spent a significant amount of time in the West End, please consider sharing your story. Contact Keloni Parks, host of the show and manager of the West End Branch, at 513-369-6900 or email westend@CHPL.org for more information.