Mattie Legacy Project Revenue

About Mattie Legacy Project

The Mattie Legacy Project is a public history initiative dedicated to preserving and uplifting the life, work, and impact of Mattie Bell Kinney (1926–1977) — a mother of eight, civil rights advocate, and one of Cincinnati’s quietly powerful community leaders during the 1960s and 70s. Led by her granddaughter, researcher and storyteller Laura Kinney-Porter, this project draws from over a decade of family oral histories, archival newspaper research, and community records to piece together a story that was nearly lost to time. Mattie’s work crossed many fields: she was a cancer advocate with the American Cancer Society, a civic leader with organizations like the NAACP, Urban League Guild, and Avondale Community Council, and an early youth mentor through the Citizens Committee on Youth and Hughes High School. She also co-managed S.K. Janitorial Services — one of the first Black-owned janitorial firms to win large corporate contracts in Cincinnati — alongside her husband and WWII-era Montford Point Marine, Sherman Kinney Jr. This legacy project exists to ensure that Mattie Bell Kinney’s story is not only remembered but recognized — through digital storytelling, public exhibitions, documentary film, and historical preservation. We aim to: • Elevate the memory of Black women leaders whose work shaped their cities • Reclaim family stories from newspaper archives and oral history • Advocate for formal recognition through city proclamations and historical projects • Build toward a foundation that preserves Black family and community legacies Follow us as we build something lasting — rooted in history, driven by love, and powered by truth.

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