NILES, Ohio – Long before she stood at the podium Thursday as keynote speaker for the 2025 Unmute the Uncomfortable symposium, NBC correspondent Yamiche Alcindor found a more personal connection to Ohio — it’s where she got engaged.
“Ohio was my mental health plan,” she told the crowd, recalling time spent with her now-husband and the day he proposed in Cuyahoga Falls.
Alcindor returned to the Buckeye State to deliver the keynote address at the annual event hosted by Coleman Health Services in partnership with the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board. Now in its fourth year, the symposium focused on the theme “Polarization, Extremism, and Reimagining a Culture of Belonging.”
It drew professionals, advocates, students and community leaders to the Eastwood Event Centre for a daylong discussion on racial equity, mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
An award-winning journalist and the daughter of Haitian immigrants, Alcindor used personal stories and reporting experiences to emphasize the power of storytelling in advancing justice and understanding. She recounted early influences from her mother, a longtime school social worker, and her grandfather, who inspired her belief in changing destinies through service and truth-telling.
“I don’t want to be part of the problems that people face,” Alcindor said. “I want people to look at my work and say she is being a representative of the American people.”
Her address weaved together national reporting on inequities in health care, environmental justice and racial discrimination, including stories of individuals living without adequate access to water, health care or safe housing. Alcindor also referenced her own journey — from growing up in Miami to covering the White House— to highlight the impact of journalism in giving voice to marginalized communities.
Referencing civil rights icon John Lewis, Alcindor encouraged attendees to see themselves as “ordinary people with extraordinary vision” capable of redeeming the soul of America.
In closing, she reminded the audience of the importance of self-care in emotionally demanding work. “Even before I had a child, I was already taking care of myself. I hope all of you will find a way to take care of yourselves as you go out from this symposium.”
The event also featured a morning keynote from Randal Pinkett, entrepreneur and CEO of BCT Partners, and included breakout sessions on topics such as suicide prevention, the rise of extremism and community healing.