Spencer has spent her entire life as a community servant and civil rights activist , working especially hard to desegregate public schools . Spencer has been an activist for seven decades . She became a life member of the NAACP , and served on the Executive Board , as chairman of both the Legal Redress and Education committees . In 1981 Spencer became the first female president of the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP . She remains the only female president in the history of the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP . Spencer also served as chairperson of the Community Steering Committee for Indigent Defense , as chairperson of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission , and as the first African American elected president of the Woman 's City Club . She served as president of The Links , Incorporated . She was an active member of the Board of Trustees of the Planned Parenthood of Cincinnati in the 1990s and subsequently served on the Planned Parenthood Foundation Board . Spencer also served as a member of the University of Cincinnati 's Board of Trustees . In 1983 , she was the first African American female elected to Cincinnati City Council and served as Vice Mayor and as a member of the Charter Party for one term . She was a delegate to the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta supporting Jesse Jackson for President . Spencer 's career included numerous achievements and many awards and honors for her contributions to human service organizations and civic volunteer work . Among her awards are : Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year Award ; Brotherhood Award , National Conference of Christians and Jews ; YWCA Career Woman of Achievement Award ; and Humanitarian Award , Freedom Heritage Foundation of Columbus , Ohio . In 1998 Spencer was named a " Great Living Cincinnatian " by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber . Her husband was awarded this honor in 2005 . He was the first person to receive this award to have been married to a previous recipient . In 2006 she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Cincinnati . In 2010 the Cincinnati Public Schools renamed an elementary school in Walnut Hills , Cincinnati the Donald A. and Marian Spencer Education Center . In 2016 the Cincinnati City Council voted to rename the 100 block of Walnut Street between Theodore Berry Way and Second Street at The Banks " Marian Spencer Way . " In 2018 the University of Cincinnati named a new residence hall on its main campus " Marian Spencer Hall . " Marian Spencer describes herself as a fighter . " All people should be equal , " she said . " There should be equality , above everything . Given equal opportunity , we all arrive at the same place . " Spencer successfully integrated Coney Island and the YWCA . She was recently named a Lifetime Achiever by Applause ! magazine and co-chaired the YWCA 's $ 3.8-million fund-raising campaign in Cincinnati . " Without difficulties that people met and overcome , we are less strong , " Spencer said . " We 've had our share . " In 2004 Marian Spencer and her husband Donald Spencer , initiated litigation seeking to restrain Defendants J. Kenneth Blackwell , in his official capacity as the Secretary of State of Ohio , Intervenor Defendant State of Ohio , the Hamilton County Board of Elections and its Chair Timothy Burke and members Michael Barrett , Todd Ward , Daniel Radford and Director John Williams in their official capacities from discriminating against black voters in Hamilton County , Ohio on the basis of race . The Spencers sought to restrain the Defendants from allowing challengers at the polls in Hamilton County
1988 Democratic National Convention
1988 Democratic National Convention
Marian Spencer