HBCU Celebration at Great American Ball Park

Award-winning anchor and reporter Aleah Hordges is Local 12's Good Morning Cincinnati, News Anchor. She is also the Public Relations Chair of the Cincinnati Chapter of The National Society of Black Sports Professionals. Prior to her move to Cincinnati, Hordges was a reporter and anchor for WISH-TV in Indianapolis. Before her three years of anchoring and reporting for WISH-TV, Hordges was a reporter and multimedia journalist (MMJ) for WTKR in Norfolk, Virginia. She started her career in Marquette, Michigan as a reporter/anchor. Hordges has been recognized with a first-place award from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters for Best Investigative Story as well as an Emmy nomination for an Information/Instructional-Feature Series from the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

Hordges graduated Cum Laude from Savannah State University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications. During her matriculation, Hordges received a full-time scholarship as a Division I track and field athlete. She was also a NCAA Student-Athlete of the Year nominee in 2013. Hordges is originally from Atlanta, GA. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Terrance, a proud Cincinnati native, graduated from the Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. He is now in his third season with the Memphis Grizzlies as an Account Executive with Client Services. Before moving to Memphis in 2022, Terrance worked as an Inside Sales Representative with the Cincinnati Reds. Deciding to attend an HBCU has been one of the best experiences for Terrance! The lifelong friendships, community atmosphere, and strong tradition are some of the many things that make him proud to be a part of an HBCU Legacy.

Tammie Renee’ Strayhorn, originally born & raised in Cincinnati, Ohio is the Owner and CEO of Stylez By Renee’, LLC where she utilizes her 18 years of cosmetology and consulting experience to service clients all over the Tri-state area in Hair, Fashion & Lifestyle needs. She has used her talents in the hair & fashion industry to work on movies projects in Hollywood, modeling throughout the Southern regions as well as ambassador for countless brands locally & nationwide. Her endeavors have launched her career in content creation & influencing. She has social media platforms with a combined total of over 75,000K followers. She uses her platform to extend the reach of the business she collaborates with, but her ultimate mission is to always encourage, inspire & motivate women to elevate in their lives.

Along with her extensive career in the hair & fashion industry, she is also an educator. Strayhorn is a Leading Men’s Fellowship Coaching Specialist at The Literacy Lab, located inside of CityLink Center. Prior to joining The Literacy Lab, she has held positions for top educational institutions, positions such as Assistant General Manager, Director & Lead Education Consultant. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree is Early Childhood Education from Jackson State University and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Belhaven University. She is passionate about the forward progression of minorities in the city of Cincinnati and devotes her time to the growth and continuing education of the youth in her community. Outside of her career achievements, Strayhorn is an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, where she works as a Committee Member for the Youth Auxiliaries & Undergraduates & serves in her community. She also attends & serves at her home church, Bright Star Community Church. She is a public speaker & published writer with a style column titled Style of Life for The Beat Mom Magazine. Strayhorn is many things to many people but believes her greatest title & accomplishment has been being a mother to her 3 sons.

Akua Wilson is a 23-year-old native of Philadelphia, PA. She attended the University of Cincinnati, graduating in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies. At the University, Akua’s research focused on radial empathy and racial healing – leading her to be a part of the founding team for the Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation and to create her company, Dissolving Division, in 2020. Dissolving Division is a community-based organization that provides consulting on radical empathy, communication, and equity in professional spaces.

Now, Akua is a graduating 3L at Howard University School of Law, where she competes as the Captain of the Huver I. Brown Moot Court Trial Advocacy Team and helps to lead the Social Action Committee of the University’s OUTlaw organization. In her free time, Akua dedicates herself to perfecting self-care, serving her community, and serving the Social Action and Connection Committee of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Xi Zeta Omega Chapter. This summer, Akua worked as a summer associate in Los Angeles with Withers Bergman LLP, practicing international dispute resolution and complex litigation. Upon graduation, Akua intends to be a litigator eventually focusing on International Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ rights law.

A native of Dayton, OH, Warren LeSell Williams serves as Vice President of Customer Success at LISNR, a local startup who is the leader in ultrasonic proximity data transmission. Via a secure and scalable software solution, LISNR’s Radius SDK enables proximity verification & contactless transactions, including offline data transmission for payments and financial service providers, merchants, mobility companies, and other proximity applications worldwide. He has been instrumental in driving the strategy for customer engagement from onboarding through the implementation and support of the company’s products and solutions. He has been in the tech field for nearly 20 years.

Warren is a proud HBCU advocate. He is a 2009 graduate of Jackson State University, where he earned a full football scholarship and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He is an active member of the JSU Computer Science Alumni Network as well as an active member of the JSU Greater Cincinnati Alumni Association. He graduated with his Master of Business Administration with a focus in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017. During his time in graduate school, he earned the Leadership Initiative Distinction and was featured as a November 2016 Student Spotlight to the entire program for his work inside and outside of the classroom. Between his academic degrees, Warren completed the Urban League’s African American Leadership and Development Program as a part of Class XXI, the best class, back in 2014.

Warren has always possessed a passion for giving his time to our youth and community via service outside of his career. Warren is a Co-Founder of the nonprofit and community organization Cincinnati Young Black Professionals (CYBP), served as Board President of Orion Academy and Board Member of Alliance Academy from 2012-2021, Past Polemarch and current Kappa League Mentor for the Cincinnati (OH) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and has served as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Board Member of the Cincinnati Reds since 2017.

Warren has been recognized by the Cincinnati Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. as the 2017 recipient of the Ray E. Clark Award – the highest award in the chapter, a proclamation from Mayor John Cranley declaring December 9, 2017 Cincinnati Young Black Professionals Day, and a 2018 Affirmed Young Professional Honoree by the Urban League Young Professionals of Greater Southern Ohio. Warren is married to his wife, Chanelle, and acknowledges his family and tight circle of friends for always challenging each other to leave spaces better than they were before they arrived.

Ashleigh Marable is the Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Brown-Forman, maker of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Korbel California Champagne and other spirits. She earned a BA in Political Science from Hampton University and a MS in Human Resources Management from University of Southern California in addition to a D&I certificate from Northwestern. Ashleigh has earned recognition as a Top 50 DEI professional as recently as 2024 and leads a team determined to make DEI a part of the corporate DNA. Ashleigh serves as a member of the Cincinnati Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, the Queen City Chapter of The Links and Treasurer of Rising Stars of America.

Phillip Black is a 1986 graduate of Central State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. Mr. Black is a life member of the Central State University National Alumni Association as well as a member of the Central State University NAA Board of Directors. Mr. Black is a retired Cincinnati Police Officer, giving 33 years of service to the City of Cincinnati. Mr. Black is an active member of the community, through his works with the Central State University Cincinnati Alumni STAR Chapter, The Sentinel Police Association, The Woodward Alumnal Endowment Fund, and as a proud life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated- Delta Gamma Lambda Chapter of Cincinnati.