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A historical statue in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood on the city's largely Black east side, a reminder of the Hough Riots of July18-24, 1966 By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief CLEVELAND, Ohio -This week marks the 60th anniversary of the  Hough Riots, which   took place from July 18-24, 1966, on Cleveland's largely Black east side.   The original civil unrest began on July 18, 1966, after a White bar owner refused to serve a glass of water to a Black customer. During the riots, four Blacks were killed, and 50 people were injured. There were some 275 arrests and numerous incidents of arson and fire bombings. The riots would come during the national Civil Rights movement and two years before the assassination of the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. City officials of Cleveland first blamed Black nationalist and communist groups  for the riots in Hough, but historians generally dismiss these claims today, arguing that the cause of the Houg...

Clevelandurbannews.com and   Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com COLUMBUS, OH  – Today, U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown of Ohio proudly earned the endorsement of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters. Brown is a former U.S. senator who is facing incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Husted in November. "I am proud to have earned the endorsement of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters," said Sherrod Brown in a press release to  Clevelandurbannews.com and   Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com ,  Ohio's leaders in Black digital news.   "The Teamsters have taught me so much about what it means to fight for hardworking Ohioans." "From protecting pensions to standing with us on the picket line and at the bargaining table, Sherrod Brown has always fought alongside the Teamsters," said Pat Darrow, president of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters. "There is no clearer choice for working families in this Senate race, and that's why the Ohio Conference of Teamsters is proud ...

Ohio 13th Congressional District Congresswoman Emilia Sykes Clevelandurbannews.com and   Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com AKRON, OH — Today, Ohio 13th Congressional District Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (OH-13), an Akron Democrat and one of three Black women in Congress from Ohio, announced that the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the University of Akron $199,413 for research on engineering and workforce development related to artificial intelligence (AI). The funding will be used to develop faster and more efficient computing methods for AI systems.    “Research institutions like the University of Akron are driving innovation that strengthens our economy, advances scientific discovery, and improves lives," said Rep. Sykes. "This federal investment will support groundbreaking artificial intelligence research that could lead to more efficient computing technologies while creating valuable opportunities for students and emerging scientists." Sykes went...

CLEVELAND, OH – Yesterday, Sherrod Brown and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey met with hardworking Ohioans in Cleveland who are fired up and ready to hold Sen. Jon Husted accountable. This comes as Husted, whom Brown hopes to oust from office in November, says that struggling Ohioans aren't " experienced at navigating the real world " and that they should simply " earn more " money. Above and below pictures: Brown (above left talking to supporters) and Booker (below) at a fundraising event with Brown in Cleveland on June 28, 2026 "Hardworking Ohioans are ready for a senator who will fight for them, not special interests," said Sherrod Brown, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Husted, a Republican. "I am grateful to have Sen. Booker here in Ohio to meet with hardworking families who deserve a leader who will take on the rigged system and fight to lower costs." "I'm here because Sherrod Brown is one ...

Above: Women's March Cleveland on Oct. 2, 2021 at a march from Market Square Park in Cleveland for reproductive rights that drew some 2,500 people. Photo by David Petkiewicz of Cleveland.com/Plain Dealer   Clevelandurbannews.com and   Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today is the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on June 24, 2022, to overturn or strike down Roe v Wade, its landmark 1973 ruling that gave federal protection for abortion access to women nationwide. In turn, the nation's high court, in a decision titled Dobbs v. Mississippi Health Organization, handed authority over abortion and reproductive rights to the respective state legislatures. . “Roe v. Wade protected generations of women's right to make personal medical decisions for years," said Ohio Congresswoman Emilia Sykes in a previous statement. "When it was overturned in 2022, fundamental rights were stripped away." Although voters in Ohio, in Nove...

Dr Amy Acton Dr. Amy Acton Statement on Dobbs Anniversary COLUMBUS, OH– On the four-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health  Organization  decision, which struck  down the long-standing Roe v Wade, Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor this year,  released the following statement on protecting reproductive rights in Ohio: "As a doctor and a public servant, I firmly believe that every Ohioan deserves the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions, free from government interference. In 2023, an overwhelming majority of Ohioans made it very clear that they trust women to make their own decisions about their own bodies," said Dr. Amy Acton. "As governor, I will always protect reproductive freedom so that every Ohioan can access safe, legal reproductive care." Although the Dobbs decision robbed women of choice and gave states the authority to govern abortion rights,  voters in Ohio, in Novem...

Clevelandurbannews.com and   Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com CHICAGO, Illinois -Former President Barack Obama, joined by former first lady Michelle Obama and three former presidents ( Bush, Clinton and Biden), celebrated the opening of his presidential library and museum in Chicago in an extraordinary event Thursday that brought together thousands, including politicians, A-list celebrities, athletes and other internationally known figures. Bono, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony and Eddie Vedder took turns on the stage ahead of Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder. "I hope this center will serve as an affirmation of just how special, how precious our democracy truly is and remind us what we can achieve when we embrace our shared responsibilities as citizens," said Obama, a Chicago southside organizer-turned president, and the nation's first Black president who served two consecutive four-year terms in office beginning in 2009. Obama speaking at the grand op...

Former Cleveland councilman Basheer Jones Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com   By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor CLEVELAND, Ohio — Former Cleveland Councilman Basheer Jones, who is Black, has been released from prison ahead of his scheduled release date. After pleading guilty to wire fraud and honest services fraud, he was sentenced in April 2025 to 28 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge J. Phillip Calabrese, a Republican appointed to the federal bench in the Northern District of Ohio in 2020 by President Donald Trump during his first term in office. The judge also ordered the former councilman, a Democrat, to pay more than $148,000 in restitution and to serve three years' probation after completing his sentence. Jones' attorney, Fernando Mack, and some Greater Cleveland Black leaders, such as former congresswoman and former HUD secretary Marcia L. Fudge, as well as some Black community activists, sought leniency...