“Tough times don’t last. Tough cities do.”
Those words, painted boldly on the side of Penguin City Brewing in downtown Youngstown, aren’t just a mural. They’re a mantra, a reminder that even after decades of loss and hardship, resilience still runs through the veins of this Rust Belt city like molten steel once did.

From Steel to Still Standing

Once, Youngstown, Ohio was a powerhouse of American steel. Immigrant workers poured their sweat, skill, and spirit into an industry that not only helped win World War II but built the neighborhoods, churches, and corner stores that made up the heart of the Mahoning Valley. Steel wasn’t just an economy; it was an identity.

Then came Black Tuesday in 1977, the day the mills went quiet. The smoke that once symbolized prosperity cleared, and with it, much of the city’s hope. Families packed up, homes were lost, and those who stayed behind learned to carry a weight that went beyond economics. It was the ache of watching a proud city fall silent.

Yet even amid that silence, the people of Youngstown never stopped listening for the sound of renewal.

Wisdom in Every Generation

There’s a saying that wisdom comes with age, but perhaps real wisdom is found in the refusal to give up, no matter how many times you’ve been counted out. Today, that wisdom lives not only in our elders who remember the hum of the mills but also in the middle-aged workers rebuilding their communities and the younger generation who refuse to let cynicism define their future.

This week, that spirit of renewal took tangible form when Derrick McDowell, a local businessman and community advocate, unseated two-term Mayor Tito Brown in Youngstown’s mayoral race. Running as an independent, McDowell captured about 55% of the vote, a clear message that people are ready for something different.

In his victory speech, McDowell said voters were looking “for something real, something tangible.” He promised to restore all 31 neighborhoods and emphasized that “our curb appeal is our most visible evidence of real change.” His words carried both accountability and vision, qualities that feel long overdue in a city that has endured corruption, mismanagement, and the slow grind of decline for too long.

Hope Rising in the Mahoning Valley

For many locals, the scars of disappointment run deep. Decades of political promises have faded like the paint on old factory walls. But this election marks more than a change in leadership. It’s a shift in energy and perspective. It’s the sound of a community remembering who it is while daring to imagine what it could be.

McDowell’s plans for a “top-to-bottom review of city hall operations” and his emphasis on revitalizing not just downtown but every neighborhood signals a more inclusive approach to rebuilding. It’s about creating visible progress, from cleaner streets to thriving local businesses, and restoring pride where it has been missing for too long.

As someone who left Youngstown for seven years and returned with new perspective, I see it. There are glimmers of growth around Youngstown State University, stirrings of creativity downtown, and the hum of possibility. What once felt like a ghost town now feels like a city whispering, “We’re still here.”

A City Forged, Not Forgotten

The wisdom of Youngstown lies in its people, in the grandmothers who remember the clang of steel, the Gen Xers who came of age during the layoffs, and the Gen Z dreamers turning empty spaces into new ventures. Together, they’re proving that progress isn’t nostalgia, it’s courage.

And perhaps that’s what Wednesday Wisdom truly means. It’s not just something you inherit, it’s something you ignite.

Here’s to the city that’s been knocked down but never stayed down.
To the leaders who see what’s possible.
And to the people of Youngstown — the proof that tough cities, indeed, do last.