CINCINNATI, OH- During the Wednesday, March 17 meeting of City Council, members unanimously passed resolutions sponsored by Councilmembers Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, Liz Keating, and Betsy Sundermann to publicly recognize three leaders who are making history while serving our local communities. The three Women’s History Month 2021 honorees are Hope Dudley, Scarlet “Mama Scar” Hudson, and Judge Marilyn Zayas. Each has worked to better the lives of Cincinnatians through their meaningful advocacy and mentorship. 

 

Hope Dudley: 

Dedicated to supporting those impacted by violence since losing her son, Daniel “Chaz” Dudley, to murder in 2007.  

Founder and CEO of the non-profit UCanSpeakForMe, which serves as a platform for peer-to-peer assistance and justice-seeking for those who have lost someone to violence. 

Educates the general public about law enforcement and judicial proceedings pertaining to violent crimes. 

Engages the community and local media to gather information that can be utilized by investigators for unsolved homicide cases by designing bookmarks, posters, and playing cards.  

Connects families with resources to help them cope and overcome challenges connected to loss through UCanSpeakForMe being a service partner of the Ohio Attorney General’s Crime Victim Section. 

“Hope Dudley is irreplaceable,” says Kearney. “She works tirelessly to advocate for and support those who have lost a family member to violence. She amplifies their voices.” 

Scarlet “Mama Scar” Hudson: 

As the founder of the non-profit Women of Alabaster, Hudson assists women who are victims and survivors of sex trafficking and drug abuse.  

Works to improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the women that the organization serves by supplying food, hygienic, and medical necessities. 

Connects community members with transitional housing and treatment centers. 

Spreads awareness about the pressing issue of human trafficking through speaking enagements. 

Served on the Response Initiative to Guide Human Trafficking Services (RIGHTS) taskforce, which had the purpose of promoting systemic changes in the justice system and agency responses to trafficking victims and survivors.  

“Mama Scar is a positive force in our community. The impact that she makes on the lives of women is not only vital, but inspiring,” says Kearney. 

Judge Marilyn Zayas: 

Raised and educated in New York City before moving to Cincinnati in 1988 to work for Procter & Gamble. 

Earned her juris doctorate in 1977 at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. 

Worked for Holland & Hart LLP before starting a private practice, where she practiced intellectual, employment, and family law. 

Elected and re-elected to the First Appellate District in 2016 and 2018. 

Selected by the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court to join the Supreme Court in a June 2018 case. 

First Latina elected as an appellate judge in Ohio and to sit on the Ohio Supreme Court. 

Started two programs to counter the barriers that exist in the legal field, one for high school students called “Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders” and the other for law students which connects them with judges. 

“Judge Zayas is a trailblazer not only for the Latinx community, but for all women. Her mentorship has made a huge impact on many students and lawyers in our community,” says Kearney.