One of the nation's longest-running Black Family Reunion celebrations returns this week for its 38th year. The theme for the Midwest Black Family Reunion Aug. 13-16 is "Resounding Resilience."
Executive Director Tracey Artis tells WVXU the event remains important after all these years.
"Whenever you have the opportunity to come together for something positive, you should. We're always looking for ways to elevate the family. That is the whole premise of the Black Family Reunion. We want to provide more resources so that families will have more knowledge, and then they'll have more options," she says. "Whenever you can strengthen people, you're strengthening communities, and thus strengthening the world."
Civil Rights leader Dorothy Height founded the national Black Family Reunion in 1986. The Midwest Black Family Reunion is a family-focused celebration of the historic strengths and values of the Black family. It launched in 1989 and is one of only a few original events still active.
Health screenings
Tira Williams is senior director for the Center of Health Equity at TriHealth, which sponsors the event and offers a variety of health screenings during festivities in Sawyer Point.
"We're excited to just meet families where they are," she says. "This may be the only time that someone in our community has access to a healthcare provider."
Williams says healthcare team members on-site also have the ability to connect people directly with doctors or providers, or get them enrolled in needed services.
"A few years ago, we screened a patient that had a blood glucose of almost 500 ... we actually sent them to our [emergency department] so they could get treated because that's a critical number," she recalls. "It's those type of things where we're able to connect in real time and get those people to the right resources they need."
TriHealth reported completing more than 300 health screenings during 2025's event.
Artis says the health screenings are one way the Black Family Reunion strengthens families.
"If you have healthy families, you have healthy communities. If I have not been to the doctor, but I can come to the park and get free screenings, that helps my health," she says.
BFR 365
The Black Family Reunion (BFR) recently launched BFR 365. Artis explains it's an initiative to bring schools, nonprofits, community leaders, cultural institutions, and others together to have a year-round impact.
"The BFR 365 initiative was established because I feel as though we need to continue every day, every month, every week strengthening the family," Artis says.
She says the organization will partner with different organizations or communities each month to bolster their efforts. One such collaboration includes working with Lincoln Heights Outreach Inc. Another is an organization called Brothers.
"They're teaching kids about their rights. What if you're pulled over by the police? What do you say? How do you act?," she explains. "We're aligning ourselves with organizations to help strengthen the family in every facet of the family."
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