Abstract

In this 2025 interview, Dominique Kizer reflects on her upbringing in East Cleveland, her graduation from Shaw High School in 2009, and her undergraduate and graduate educational journey culminating at the University of Dayton's doctoral program. Kizer discusses her work teaching urban youth in New Orleans and later returning to East Cleveland City Schools to support students as a linkage coordinator and intervention specialist at Shaw High School. She describes her commitment to advocating for at-risk youth, addressing barriers to student success, and building meaningful relationships with students and families. Kizer also reflects on her work as an author and entrepreneur, including children’s books focused on Black identity, bullying, and self-esteem, as well as her advocacy against hair discrimination through support of the CROWN Act and her business centered on Black hair care and culture.

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Interviewee

Kizer, Dominique (interviewee)

Interviewer

Mays, Nicholas S. (interviewer)

Project

East Cleveland

Date

11-25-2025

Document Type

Oral History

Duration

54 minutes

Transcript

Nick Mays [00:00:00] My name is Dr. Nicholas S. Mays, and today we are conducting an oral history interview for the East Cleveland Oral History project. Today is December 1, 2025, and I am honored to be joined by Dr. Dominique Kizer, an East Cleveland native, educator, author, advocate, and community champion. Thank you so much for participating in this project. [00:00:27] Dr. Kizer. Could we begin with your full name and age?

Dominique Kizer [00:00:32] Sure. Thank you for having me. My name is Dr. Dominique Michelle Kizer, and I am 34 years old.

Nick Mays [00:00:40] Okay, so I want to start with the first topic which deals with or focuses on early life and foundations. Can you share a bit about your early life growing up in East Cleveland?

Dominique Kizer [00:00:52] Sure. My early life is Cleveland includes going through all of East Cleveland public schools from kindergarten to 12th grade. I graduated from Shaw High School. I participated in so many different things. From student council, drill team. I was in the CET or career and tech program at Shaw Criminal Justice. I also was in Shaw band, which is very popular. I also cheered for the East Cleveland Chiefs. So, yes, East Cleveland shaped me.

Nick Mays [00:01:25] What role would you say your family and neighborhood and even schooling shape your identity and worldview and who you are today?

Dominique Kizer [00:01:38] My neighborhood family shaped me. It showed me community, love, support, resilience. It showed me that the sky is the limit. To strive for greatness and to never leave your family behind. Take everyone with you. And I learned that at an early age that East Cleveland isn't just somewhere I live. It's a family. And we conduct ourselves as such. We show up every year for our all class reunion. We do projects. We just did a cleanup at the Cleveland Theater. We clean. We cleaned up the park. We just do different things. Dante's gift Express everything. Turkey takeover. We give back. We support and we show love. And that's what East Cleveland is.

Nick Mays [00:02:24] Can you talk about your experience at Shaw? You know what? Before we do that. What kind of younger or teenager was Ms. Kizer?

Dominique Kizer [00:02:37] Younger teenager. So again, I was in a lot of activities. So the majority of my time I spend in Shaw Bend because we had extensive practices, performances. We were performing around the city, out of town. So that took up a lot of my time. I enjoyed cheering, dancing, and hanging with my friends. For the most part, education was my forefront, so everything revolved around that. I love school. I love reading. Yeah.

Nick Mays [00:03:10] What'd you do after school?

Dominique Kizer [00:03:12] After school? Practice. After practice, I went home and I had family time with my siblings or I hung out with my friends. We stayed outside. Kids don't do that today. We went outside. We stayed outside until the street Lights came on and then it was time for to get ready for the next day for school.

Nick Mays [00:03:32] Was there any institutions or places that you and your friends would go?

Dominique Kizer [00:03:36] Of course. We love the Civic Center. So that was a staple in East Cleveland. The Civic center, the East Cleveland Public Library, the main one. And we had one on Hayden that a lot of people don't know about. It was like, I guess like a separate branch from this location. We spent a lot of time there. They had a lot of activities in the basement for us to participate in. Also we had a little. It was a place called the Q5. It was like our club, I guess, Kitty club. We spent a lot of time there. But the city center for sure was a space that we frequent often.

Nick Mays [00:04:11] What's the Q5?

Dominique Kizer [00:04:12] It's kind of like it was off the Hayden. It was like a, I guess you can say like a kitty club or like a party singer ish kind of place. And they had different little kitty cabarets and things for us like every Friday. That's where all the teenagers went and had a good time.

Nick Mays [00:04:28] Now you said a lot of your young life's centered around like education does that. What does that mean? Unpack that.

Dominique Kizer [00:04:38] Sure. So my biggest goal was to graduate high school, go to college. So I was in trio. I was in upper bounds, so we did a lot of college trips. I also interned at the House of Representatives, so that was something I did as well.

Nick Mays [00:04:59] And this was during high school?

Dominique Kizer [00:05:01] Yes, in high school. So this was kind of like my, I think a 10th grade into 11th grade year summer. So yeah, I spent a lot of time reading at the library, college trips and doing different things.

Nick Mays [00:05:14] It's fair to say you went home every day, did your homework first.

Dominique Kizer [00:05:17] Yes, homework was priority. I never wanted to miss school. I would cry. The mom breathing stuff all the time. Well, she used to cry and say that you was the only child I know that would cry if she couldn't go to school.

Nick Mays [00:05:33] So yeah, introduce us to your parents or your siblings who you grew up with.

Dominique Kizer [00:05:38] Sure. So I grew up in a two parent household. My mom and dad, both East Cleveland natives, they both went to East Cleveland schools. My dad graduated from Shaw. My mom graduated from Hollywood. She would hate that I say that because she thinks she's a Shaw High graduate. To this, well, I would say to this day, well, my passed. So. Yeah, but up until the day she passed away, she was a Shaw cardinal for life. Even though she didn't graduate. I think she left in her 10th grade year and Went to Cottonwood, but she's a diehard cardinal. I have three brothers. I'm the only girl. We all went to East Cleveland schools except for one, and we all graduated from Shaw. I am the middle child. I have a younger brother who has also passed away, and then I have two older brothers.

Nick Mays [00:06:33] If you may talk a little bit about what you learned from your mom or something that stays with you.

Dominique Kizer [00:06:42] Sure. Something that I learned from my mom is to be my authentic self. My mom was my biggest cheerleader. She was the one that pushed me to do anything. Any idea I brought to her. Yes, go for it. You can do it. Yes, I support you. If I said that I was going to go and sell lint, she was my biggest supporter, and I love her for that. And. Yeah.

Nick Mays [00:07:09] And what about your dad? We don't want to leave your dad out.

Dominique Kizer [00:07:12] So my dad, he was the. Get it done by any means, you know, whatever it takes. He showed me how to grind, how. He the one who gave me that grit, you know, and how to just go after whatever it is that I want. They both were my supporters and stood behind me through every decision, every obstacle, through everything.

Nick Mays [00:07:39] Can you give us their names?

Dominique Kizer [00:07:41] Yes. Anthony Kaiser and Mona Kaiser. Thank you. Sure.

Nick Mays [00:07:45] So I want to talk about; first of all, what schools did you go to for elementary, middle school. And then we know you went to Shaw, but Sure.

Dominique Kizer [00:07:57] So I started at Chambers. I went there through K through. I think that was fourth grade. Okay, third. And then fourth through six. I went to Mayfair Elementary. Kirk or Heritage. Now it depends on where you are in life. We went there from 9th and 10th grade because they tore down Shaw. So we were at Heritage. [00:08:17] And then my 10th through. Or. Yeah, 11th through 12th grade. Was that the newly built Shaw? I believe we also. Okay, eighth grade, I was in Superior Trailers because Heritage was being built. So. Yes.

Nick Mays [00:08:34] What year did they complete the renovation for the newly Shaw?

Dominique Kizer [00:08:40] I want to say we were the first class there. So I want to say

Nick Mays [00:08:46] You would have been a junior at the time.

Dominique Kizer [00:08:48] I want to say. Was that like 07? 06? 07, I believe.

Nick Mays [00:08:57] Okay. How did it, how did it feel to be in a newly renovated built school?

Dominique Kizer [00:09:04] So everyone talks about, oh, it's not the same as the old Shaw. The old Shaw was so much bigger. They had swimming all the things. But that's not the Shaw that I know. So this is the Shaw that I know and love. I love the big windows. We have that hallway like the skywalk you can walk through.And it's just see Euclid. I love Shaw. We have the basement where the career and texts are. We had different levels. We had Leadership Academy. We had. I think it was like nursing. We had five different floors. In each floor was a different academy and you could be. I think I was in the leadership academy and that was like the law.

Nick Mays [00:09:46] Why Leadership Academy?

Dominique Kizer [00:09:48] I'm a leader. No. So I wanted to go into law. So the leadership Academy focused on law, leadership, all the things that I possess. Also I was in criminal. Criminal justice at Shaw. So if you wanted to be in that career in tech, that was the path that you took. So.

Nick Mays [00:10:09] So talk about your experience and when I say that like the. The kind of day to day at Shaw, your engagement with teachers and staff and mentors and other students.

Dominique Kizer [00:10:27] Sure. So my day to day is I got to school. My first few years I had a full schedule. My last two years I didn't because you know, senior or junior Senior. And you've taken taken all the classes. So my first few years I was in my brother's shadow cuz he was the person that was at school first. [00:10:47] Well at the high school first. So I came in I d to all his friends. I met a lot of great teachers. I'm going to shout them out. Ms. Moore, Mrs. Uagley. Ms. Moore is my history teacher. I love history. Ms. Roggly, she was my street law teacher. She still both of them still reach out to this day. They still support Advocate show up. Ms. Massingale, that was my counselor. She's the one that helped me through the college process. I didn't know anything about that financial aid, how to apply anything. Without Ms. Massingale and Ms. Moore and Ms. You Rockley, I wouldn't be where I am today. Dr. Rashid, that was my math teacher. I hated math, but he made sure, he made sure I got through. I also took honor classes. Ms. Salong, these are also all besides Ms. Ragli, African American teachers. So it was awesome to see teachers that look like me and held me accountable and had me at such a high standard. So high school I went to school, I went to class, went to lunch. That's where we spend most of our time with our friends. And then after school I had practice and I went home. Sometimes I went over friend's house or we went out. But majority of that stuff happened on the weekends. So yeah.

Nick Mays [00:12:15] Did you work during high school?

Dominique Kizer [00:12:17] I did. I forgot about that. I did. So being a part of the criminal justice career and tech program, we were. We had Internships. So I worked at the. I first started at the courthouse as a junior bailiff, so I helped during the court proceedings. So I also worked at Huron Hospital, one of our hospitals that are no longer here in East Cleveland, as a security. I actually enjoy both of those jobs. And I worked at our after school program for the elementary school with the kids. So that was like my internship. So we had a certain amount of hours we had to get as a part of our graduation requirements. So, yeah, I worked my sophomore through senior year.

Nick Mays [00:13:05] Talk about being in the band.

Dominique Kizer [00:13:08] Sure. So being a part of the Mighty Marching Cardinals was a very great time for me. I was a flag girl, so I was part of the auxiliary team, and I enjoyed that so much. I learned so much. I learned teamwork, determination, resilience. We worked hard. We worked very hard. So that showed me how not to give up, because, baby, we was running and doing all the things. I think we ran more than the track team. So I'm very appreciative of that program, as well as Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Jones. Ms. Jones is our auxiliary director, which I still have a great relationship with her to this day. She still supports me and everybody in East Cleveland. So, yeah, we went on a lot of trips, so that introduced me to a lot of things. [00:14:07] So prior to the band, well, I guess when I was on the Chiefs, we did go on trips as well, but we didn't go as far as we did with the band. So being able to see HBCUs, things that I was not aware of, I didn't know about. So that introduced me to the HBCUs, which I began to be obsessed with, even though I didn't go to hbcu. But we going to talk about that later. But yeah, I enjoyed the band. I enjoy my friends. I met some lifelong friends from the band, from Shaw in general, but that was a great time.

Nick Mays [00:14:41] What year did you graduate from, Shaw?

Dominique Kizer [00:14:43] I graduated in 2009.

Nick Mays [00:14:49] Were you a part of the cohort then that went to China?

Dominique Kizer [00:14:52] So I was. I did not go to China, though. That was the same time that I had the internship at the House of Representatives. But no, I did not go to China, but I was there during that time.

Nick Mays [00:15:02] Talk about graduation.

Dominique Kizer [00:15:04] Graduation was awesome. I was filled with so much joy. My family was there. It was a celebration. It was the end of one part of my life, but it continued with the same people that I graduated with. I'm still friends with today.

Nick Mays [00:15:27] Okay, so we're gonna pivot, and now we're gonna talk about higher learning. Oh, no. Excuse me. We're not gonna pivot yet.

Dominique Kizer [00:15:35] Okay.

Nick Mays [00:15:36] I wanna talk about the Shaw reunion.

Dominique Kizer [00:15:40] Sure.

Nick Mays [00:15:40] I mean, so I did attend this this year.

Dominique Kizer [00:15:45] Did you?

Nick Mays [00:15:46] Absolutely. I was there for about three and a half hours. I've never seen anything like that. I was told what it was gonna be like, witnessed it or, you know, attended the event. I truly didn't understand until I was there.

Dominique Kizer [00:16:03] Yeah.

Dominique Kizer [00:16:04] Most people don't.

Nick Mays [00:16:05] And it was. You know, I tell people it's like. It's some. It's like a holiday. It's like an entity. It's not. It's not just an event. Right. And what I saw was, you know, intergenerational. I saw love, I saw blackness. I saw entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship. I saw people representing and loving on their city and the school. You know, I saw people, I engaged people who did not. Who from East Cleveland, did not graduate from Shaw, but for that weekend. They were Shaw graduates. I saw folks who came to East Cleveland just for the weekend.

Dominique Kizer [00:16:49] Yes.

Nick Mays [00:16:49] And they told me that they do it every year.

Dominique Kizer [00:16:52] Excuse me.

Nick Mays [00:16:53] And so. But so can you describe the Shaw reunion? What it means to you, and what it means to the folks?

Dominique Kizer [00:17:04] Sure. So every year we have our all class reunion, which is held at Forest Hill, which is in East Cleveland, is usually. Well, no, it is Labor Day weekend. It's event. It starts on Wednesday through Sunday. So each class may have their own events, but ultimately we all come together on that Sunday and celebrate at the park. And then afterwards we usually head to Euclid and do kind of like a block party to say the least. So it's so funny because I remember back when I was in the band, we used to perform at the Alumni. Now I'm the alumni. So it's good to do that, you know, see that come full circle. So you get up there. Some people get there as early as 5am to set up their tents and mark their space. Because you're fighting over it. Because so many people come in town, come into town sometimes, depending on your class, you may have a tent. And most people have. They do barbecue, they sell things, they sell T shirts, they sell bracelets, keychains, whatever. It's kind of like just a big barbecue. A family reunion. A family reunion. Everyone from all the way back to the 80s to the current. It's so weird seeing some of my students that graduated a few years ago up there and I'm like, you're alumni now. Like I have to accept that. So, yeah, it's a great time. It's full of love, community, no arguing. It's no fighting. It's just love. And I love that for our community. I've been going ever since I was alumni, and that's been 15 plus years, and it's been awesome every year. And I look forward to it every year. People come from out of town every year. It's a big thing. Some people call it a holiday. They said, like, y' all seem like a big college, a fraternity, a sorority, and that's just how we show our love for each other.

Nick Mays [00:19:13] You mentioned Donte's Gift Express earlier. Did you go to high school with Donte?

Dominique Kizer [00:19:18] Yes. So Donte is class of 06, I believe, and I'm class 09. So he was there a few years before me, and then I was there a few years after him. But I've been participating in his Donte Express for the past--I want to say maybe eight to 10 years. And it's always awesome. I love giving back. I love how it feels and how seeing everyone's face when you come to their door. And it's just last year was the first year that I actually did the door to door. I never do the door to door, but I always do the gift wrapping. That's my part. I do the gift wrapped in every year. And last year was my first year actually going door to door and seeing those faces and everyone being happy and supportive and surprised and like, oh, I know you guys, and I see this every year. Thank you. I just love seeing those smiles on people's faces and people being grateful.

Nick Mays [00:20:19] Can you walk us through your educational path from Ohio State University to Case Western Reserve School of Law to entering your master's degree in financial integrity?

Dominique Kizer [00:20:33] Okay, so this is always funny because it's like, wait, what? You did a lot of things. My journey. Is that my journey? So I went to the Ohio State University where I studied criminology. So again, I took up CTE as Shaw and I took up criminal justice. So when I arrived at Ohio State, I had RA12 college credits. I took a minor in Human development and Family Science. So I knew I wanted to work with students I just didn't know, or not students, but youth. I didn't know in what capacity. Then once I graduated, I was trying to get my feet into criminal justice. I did some jobs here and there, but they weren't fulfilling. So I started looking at different things. I started doing substituting. I was a job coach with the youth at Youth Opportunities Unlimited. And I started seeing like, oh, you know, this could be something I can get into. While in the process, I still was thinking, okay, I still want to do the law thing. So I was looking into different programs. I took my lsat. I wasn't excited about my scores and I was like, I don't know if law school is for me anymore. So you know how you fill out the forms for colleges and they reach out to you. Case Western Reserve University had a new program called Financial Integrity. And it was like, hey, I think this would be a great program for you. This is a new program here. And they talked me through it. So what does that mean? Financial Integrity deals with anti money laundering and fraud and things of that nature. It still is part of the law. So I went to Case Western Reserve University School of Law, but I did not get my Juris Doctorate. Everyone confuses confused about that. So I did get my Masters from Case Western Reserve School of Law, just not my Juris Doctorate. So as I was trying to find a job in that space, I continued doing the subbing and I fell in love with students and I started working with youth. And then after working in schools for a few years, I was like, you know, I think I want to go back and get a degree in education. And I did. So now I have my doctorate in leadership for organizations from the University of Data.

Nick Mays [00:23:11] Before we talk about your doctorate program, what is financial integrity? What does folks usually, what does graduates usually do in that field?

Dominique Kizer [00:23:24] So as previously stated, Financial Integrity deals with anti money laundering and fraud. So usually people work in banks. So on the fraud team. Or you can go into law enforcement, you can go into FBI, you can go into things of that nature. So it basically deals with making sure that people aren't stealing money.

Nick Mays [00:23:53] Did you ever work in that field?

Dominique Kizer [00:23:54] I did briefly. It was right before COVID hit. So I started working in that field and then my job had got taken away due to Covid and then that's when I went into working in the schools.

Nick Mays [00:24:12] Okay, so now I want to move on and we'll, we'll talk about what motivated you to pursue your doctorate in leadership.

Dominique Kizer [00:24:22] Sure.

Nick Mays [00:24:22] For organizations at the University of Dayton. And, and, and talk about your journey in your doctorate program.

Dominique Kizer [00:24:33] Sure. So I was a 6th grade English teacher in New Orleans. So during COVID again, my job had got taken away and I was like looking for different things. So I enrolled in a teacher certification program called Teach NOLA in New Orleans. I started working in the classroom and then I moved back home and I started working in East Cleveland at Shaw. And I saw the need for change, you know, And I thought, hey, why not be that change? So I went back to school so I can be the one that brought change to education. So I went to start looking at different programs. University of Dayton was brought to me by a Fellow Shaw alumni, Dr. Siobhan Taylor Nash. Shout her out. She finished in 22, and then I finished in 25. She actually was on my dissertation committee. But, yeah, that's what motivated me, working in the schools and seeing all the things that needed to happen. And, you know, we always talk about what we could do, what we should do, and I wanted to actually do what needed to be done, so here I am.

Nick Mays [00:25:52] Now that you completed your doctorate, what is your ultimate aim or goals in terms of career goals?

Dominique Kizer [00:26:03] So I get that question a lot. So ultimately, I would love to open my own school or youth center. That is my ultimate goal. I would love to do that. Right now, I'm trying to see where my journey takes me. I've also thought about being a superintendent.

Nick Mays [00:26:30] Are you the first doctor in your family?

Dominique Kizer [00:26:32] Yes, I am the first doctor in my family.

Nick Mays [00:26:35] What does that mean to you?

Dominique Kizer [00:26:37] It means that I have people looking up to me. Those people being my nieces and nephews, they adore me. They love that I am a teacher, and they love that I'm an author and that I'm a doctor now, and that gives them something to strive for. So I'm happy that I can be that example for them.

Nick Mays [00:27:02] Thank you. So we're gonna pivot at this point and discuss career path. So after your graduate program at Case western and your career shifted towards education.

Dominique Kizer [00:27:21] Yes.

Nick Mays [00:27:22] What led you to begin teaching in New Orleans? Okay, so that's that journey.

Dominique Kizer [00:27:30] It was a wild one. It was exhilarating. It was fun. It was exciting. It was the spirit of moment. It was. It was crazy. But that's me. I'm very spontaneous. So again, during the pandemic, my job was one of the jobs that weren't considered essential. So during that time, I had a lot of downtime. So I started looking into different programs, and I was like, you know, I've been working with the youth. I love this. So I started looking into Teach for America, Teach nola. I went through all the different teacher certification programs, and the one that stuck out the most was Teach nola. I love New New Orleans. [00:28:16] I love their culture, I love their history. Their background is so full of life, so full of black culture. And that's what really sold me. So I think I applied in February. I got accepted in March and I had to move by May. So this was happening quickly. I told my mom and my dad and they were like, we don't like this, but go for it. So once you get the approval from your parents, that's all you need. So, so I packed up, I drove, I packed up my little SUV with all the things that I needed and I drove 16 hours by myself to New Orleans. I started my journey. I started teaching sixth grade English at Lake St. Hughes Academy. I love New Orleans. I love my school, I love my students. It was such a great experience. But then natural disaster and tragedy happened. So I was displaced and I came back to East Cleveland when I was still trying to figure out if I was going to stay in New Orleans. And when I came back to East Cleveland.

Nick Mays [00:29:28] Before we go back to East Cleveland, can we unpack New Orleans a little bit more? The program you was teaching over there?

Dominique Kizer [00:29:36] Sure. So I went through the teacher certification program called Teach nola. So what that looks like is we start off, we have summer institute. So we, it prepares us. We teach summer school, we get all of the, we do coursework, we get the trainings and by the time the school year starts, we start teaching our own classroom. During that time, we have coaches that we have regular check ins, we have assignments that's due, we have different projects that's due. We have observations during this time. So our coaches come in and see how well we're doing. They talk with our principals regularly. And. Yeah. And after two years, you have a two year commitment. You should have your teacher certification. So you have to take, depending on which subject you teach, you have to take the praxis, which is assessment, be certified and once you finish your two years, complete your practice. And I think that was it, you will be certified. And yeah.

Nick Mays [00:30:48] What impact did that experience have on your life and career?

Dominique Kizer [00:30:52] It had a very positive impact. It showed me that I can pretty much do anything. I switch career paths and I do well and whatever I do. Not to toot my own horn, but toot, toot. It showed me that I just got up and left my whole family behind. So that showed me that I had to do things on my own and I had to, I'm the only person here, so I had to figure everything out. And that was a very great point in my life. It showed me resilience. It showed me that I can get it done and I did.

Nick Mays [00:31:39] Thank you. And then you moved back to Ohio. What inspired your decision or informed your decision to Return to Ohio and begin working with the East Cleveland City School district.

Dominique Kizer [00:31:55] Sure. So going into my second year at Langston Hughes Academy, my brother passed away. That was very. It was sudden. It was unexpected. It was. It was very challenging for me being so far away. I was 16 hours away. So not being able to get to your family in such a need didn't weigh very well on me. It was like, oh, if something happens to my mom or my dad or anybody else, I can't get there as quickly. So that was when heavy army. And then later a few months later, we had a hurricane, Hurricane Ida to be exact. It shook up the city. I was displaced for work. We didn't know when we'll be going back. So they were like, you know, your position is. It wasn't terminated, but they had to figure things out. So during that time, I went home, I visited home. And being around family, it kind of felt like I needed to be home. And while I was here, one of an employee at East Cleveland, Ms. Fitzgearld, she was also my teacher back when I was in school. And now she's a mentor. She's been great. She is great. She reached out, was like, hey, are you back? I would love for you to come work at East Cleveland. And I was like, you know, I don't know if I'm staying. [00:33:27] She's like, well, if you do, you know, reach out to me. And I ended up staying and I ended up working at Shaw. So through natural disaster and tragedy, it brought me back home.

Nick Mays [00:33:40] What did you do in the years prior to your more recent position? So today you, you serve as a seventh grade English intervention specialist. What did you do prior, up until this point?

Dominique Kizer [00:34:03] So prior to this, I worked at Shaw High School as a linkage coordinator. So as a linkage coordinator, I work with students that are failing, that have bad attendance, that have issues. And basically I put in different interventions to get them back on track to graduate. So I had a caseload of about 40 to 50 students that I work with regularly. I do daily check ins with their teachers, with their parents, with them. If they're truant, we would do home visits. We would, if they needed to get in credit recovery. Just different interventions in place, behavior. Sometimes we had to do behavior trackers or different things just make sure those students were back on track to graduate. We did college visits. We did different career programs. We had people come in. We did career fairs. We went to different businesses. We partner with Magnet, which is a manufacturing company here. We partner with Trio. We partner with making a difference. Renan Ram we just bread Winners Academy. So we just open up different opportunities for students to see the different things that are available to them. Financial we did, I must say financial integrity. We did financial literacy courses and things like that. Got students bank accounts preparing them for the real world.

Nick Mays [00:35:40] In your view, what impact did you make?

Dominique Kizer [00:35:46] I think I had a very positive impact on all of my students. To this day they still call me to update me on their life events. Oh, Ms. Kizer, I got an A in my first college class. They call me when they need advice, if they need a letter of recommendation, if they need resources, supplies being the few because at majority of my schools, even though they were all like 80 to 90% African American, the teachers didn't reflect that. So being that safe space, being the person that looks like them, someone that they can look up to and know that they can, they can strive to do what I did. I think that is something that is very important and I love that I was able to do that and be that for them.

Nick Mays [00:36:42] Today you serve as a seventh grade English intervention specialist. Talk about this role.

Dominique Kizer [00:36:48] Sure. So I am a 7th and 8th grade English intervention specialist. So I work with students that have IEPs or 504 plans. I have a case study load that I work with. So sometimes I push into the classroom or I pull out. So I go into the general ed setting and assist them with their work. If they can't thrive in that setting, I will pull them out and we'll do smaller groups. I also have designated time for pull out time as well. They get pulled out for testing so they have a in the module testing. If they have NWEA testing or MAP testing or OST testing, they get pulled for that. I sit in on IEP meetings with the school's team as well as their parents to discuss their IEP goals and where their progress and what do we see moving forward. What do we need to do they need to come off the iep? Do we need to add more goals? Yeah.

Nick Mays [00:37:57] Thank you. So we're going to pivot again and talk about authorship, entrepreneurship and advocacy. You've authored two children books. What inspired each of these works? Can you first of all can you give us the title of each book and then talk about what what inspired you to to author children's books?

Dominique Kizer [00:38:19] Sure. So my first book is "Kinky Hair Don't Care." That was my baby. So that also happened during Pandemic. I had a lot of time growing up. I had kinky and or coarse hair and a lot of times Natural hair is frowned upon. It doesn't seem as, or deemed professional, and they say that it looks unkept. And working in the schools, I realized that a lot of students weren't comfortable in their natural hair. I had, I remember one student in particular, she was being bullied about her hair. So I pulled her into my office and I did her hair with the utensils that I had the best that I could. And she felt better about herself. But I had to have that conversation with her. I was like, hey, this is your natural hair. I want you to embrace it and, you know, love it. And she understood, but she still struggled a little bit. So that inspired me to write my book, which talks about kinky hair and the love you should have for it as a young brown girl and as a mother or aunt or grandmother to instill this into your children, to show them that having natural hair is a beautiful thing and to embrace it. So that was my first book, actually. I did pretty well with that one. As someone that had. I started off, I did a big chop. So for those that don't know what that is, you cut off all of your permed ends and you're left with it. It Could be a little afro. Could be a big Afro. Mines was a little Afro. And now I have natural locks. So being someone that's been natural for the past 15 plus years, I think it's important to show little brown girls that this is acceptable, this is professional, this is neat, this is beautiful. And then I wrote a book called "In School the Kids Are really Cruel." It's a book that help students, as well as their parents learn about bullying and what they can do to prevent it, how to who to reach out to, who to look for. It gives them steps and different ways to overcome bullying. So those are my two babies.

Nick Mays [00:40:39] Yeah. It's interesting, you think about the hair and, and how how folks or how young people or adults too deal with the same kind of phenomenon at the workspace, altering, you know, making decisions on how they were, you know, gonna wear their hair based on what they think is going to be accepted. And so it's interesting, it isn't just a school thing, but also it's a a societal thing. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Dominique Kizer [00:41:19] Sure. I remember going into job interviews and I'm like, should I wear my natural hair or should I put on a wig? Because are they gonna not give me the job because they think I look unprofessional? I remember working, I won't say anywhere. But I was in college, and I was working in a very professional setting, and I remember being pulled to the side, and they said something about my hair, and I just was, like, kind of taken aback, especially because the person that said something to me was African American. [00:41:50] And I was like, wow. I felt very frustrated. I felt embarrassed, humiliated. And that played a big part of me writing my book as well, that one incident.

Nick Mays [00:42:08] Thank you for sharing that. You also created a business called Fro's Get Chose. What inspired this entrepreneur?

Dominique Kizer [00:42:19] Sure. So when I. Sorry. When I wrote my book Kinky Hair, don't care, I feel like there needed to be a brand to go along with that, and that's where my brand came about. Fro's Get Chose. Because a lot of time, people feel like having natural hair isn't beautiful, it's not desirable. And I wanted women to know that, yes, fro's still get chose. This is funny now, but back then, that was my main goal, was to let women know that having natural hair is desirable and to embrace and love your natural hair. So I have T shirts, hoodies, fanny packs, phone cases, bags, things of that nature with my logo on there and different little sayings.

Nick Mays [00:43:17] You are also a strong advocate of the Crown Act. What do you think about this. This new law and why it's important that it was passed?

Dominique Kizer [00:43:30] I think it was necessary because, again, you see a lot of times on TV that a lot of sports players are being disqualified or they're being asked to cut their hair off. This is a part of our culture, this part of our heritage. You know, some people wear this as a badge of honor, and you want me to cut this off for sports. You want me to cut my hair for a job, and it's. It's just not acceptable. So I am very excited that this law was passed, and I think it's needed and it needs to stay, and I feel like it has brought on a change. I feel like a lot of people have been embracing their natural hair more. I feel like we have a long way to go, but this is a start, and I'm happy for the start.

Nick Mays [00:44:15] For those that don't know what is a Crown Act.

Dominique Kizer [00:44:17] So the Crown act is basically saying that you cannot be discriminated against in the workplace when it comes to your hair.

Nick Mays [00:44:26] Is that a national law or Ohio law?

Dominique Kizer [00:44:29] It's national. I know all places don't have, but I know the majority of places do.

Nick Mays [00:44:35] Thank you for that. All right, we're gonna pivot again and talk about East Cleveland identity, community, vision. As an East Cleveland native, what does this city mean to you?

Dominique Kizer [00:44:50] This city means everything to me. This is home. This is where I grew up. This is where I continue to come back to do the work, to volunteer, to give back, to support. Without East Cleveland, I wouldn't be the woman that I am today. It has taught me so many different lessons. It has opened my eyes to so many different things. It's just. It's home, and I wouldn't rather be anywhere else.

Nick Mays [00:45:18] How have you seen East Cleveland evolve over the course of your lifetime, both positively and or negative, too.

Dominique Kizer [00:45:28] So over the years, I've seen it evolve. It has some negative things, and people love to focus on that. Growing up, we didn't have as many abandoned buildings as we do now. We don't have as much. There's a lot of empty spaces because a lot of demolition and things like that. So that changed since I was a kid because all of our streets were filled with houses, nicely kept, and now it looks different. But there's also positive things that's going on. We have a lot of alumni coming back to give back, as I mentioned earlier, Donte's Gift Express. We have people coming back to clean up the park, to clean up the theater, to give out, food to give out. We have coat drives, book drives. So there's a lot of positive things happening here. I see people trying to make changes and do the work. So it has changed over the years, but that's any place, and regardless of the changes, it's still home.

Nick Mays [00:46:39] Thank you. Moving forward, what do you believe are the most misunderstood or overlooked aspects of East Cleveland?

Dominique Kizer [00:47:01] I think the most misunderstood aspects of East Cleveland is that a lot of people see just negativity. Everyone feels like, oh, is poverty stricken? Is violence? Is ghetto? Nothing or no one ever comes from East Cleveland. And I'm here to show that so much more comes from East Cleveland. Again, I mentioned it several times around this community. Love, support. We have entrepreneurs, we have doctors, we have lawyers, we have people from all different walks of life came from East Cleveland. And I feel like people never, you know, acknowledge that they only focus on the negative. And I want. I want the positive to be displayed more.

Nick Mays [00:47:58] There's current revitalization efforts going on in East Cleveland. What outcomes do you hope revitalization will create for East Cleveland and its residents?

Dominique Kizer [00:48:11] So when it comes to the revitalization in East Cleveland, I want to focus on rebuilding instead of replacing. So a lot of times people think the best thing to do is to come in and take over and change all of the things that make up a city. And I don't want to see that. I want the main things to stay. The civic center, Forest Hill Park Public Library, the piano place that's across the street, that's been here since I've been a child. You know, I want to see new housing, you know, new resources, new jobs, new opportunities. I don't want things to be taken away and to. I don't want these things to be forgotten, you know, the history, the culture, the community. But I do want it to be rebuilt for sure.

Nick Mays [00:49:03] So there's re revitalization efforts being conducted today. You have, for example, the Circle east project. You have the Cuyahoga Land bank, who's one of the external kind of partners. And there's going to be, you know, there's going to be more, uh, to come. Uh, in general, do you support external institutions, organizations coming in and doing that work?

Dominique Kizer [00:49:32] I do. As long as it's for our people, it's for the right reason. Again, I don't want them to come in and try to take over and replace. But if it's going to be beneficial to the people that still live here, the businesses and things of that nature, sure, I, I wouldn't mind the help. But if it's coming in to replace, not so much.

Nick Mays [00:49:54] I See, how do you view the relationship between East Cleveland residents and public institutions like the schools, like Shaw, the library?

Dominique Kizer [00:50:07] I believe the relationships, for the most part, are positive. There are some that are strained, of course, but that's any relationship. I do feel like sometimes the residents and, you know, community partners feel unseen, unheard. But I do see a lot of East Cleveland Public Library Shaw, different people coming in to try to change that, and that makes the relationship better. But again, there are some strains.

Nick Mays [00:50:40] Okay, thank you for that. Let's pivot. We're going to talk about reflection and legacy. This is what I call my final concluding questions. Okay, so we're going to pivot and talk reflection and legacy. Looking across your journey from Shaw to your doctorate degree, being a doctor from law school, or your program at law school to teaching and authorship, what accomplishments are you most proud of?

Dominique Kizer [00:51:24] Honestly, I'm most proud of all my accomplishments because they were. They happen at different parts of my life, and it made me the person I am today. Being an author, it showed me that I could express and show my thoughts with the world getting my Doctor. Being the first person to get my doctor in my family was one of my biggest accomplishments. And that one is a big one because my mom passed away the term right before graduation. So being able to push through and finish, because I did go back and forth between whether or not I wanted to finish the program during that time or finish at a later date, and I decided that my mom would have wanted me to finish. So being able to do that during such a very difficult time, that's why that is one of my biggest accomplishments, for sure.

Nick Mays [00:52:31] Wow. Thank you. Dr. Kizer. What legacy do you hope to leave for East Cleveland youth and the community?

Dominique Kizer [00:52:39] The legacy that I hope to leave for East Cleveland youth in the community is that the sky is the limit. Strive for greatness. Never give up. I want them to be able to look at me and see that it can be done. And I want the youth to know that anything's possible. Don't let the negative comments about East Cleveland persuade you to not finish or not try to not keep going. And I just want them to know that East Cleveland is a great place to grow up in and to grow in. And I feel like without growing up in East Cleveland, I wouldn't be the person I am today. So. Yeah.

Nick Mays [00:53:31] Well, Dr. Kizer, thank you for your time. Thank you for the opportunity to tell your. Your story. And thank you for participating in the East Cleveland Oral History Project.

Dominique Kizer [00:53:46] Thank you for having me.

Nick Mays [00:53:48] We are a wrap.

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