Protest Around Imperial Avenue Murders Prompts Mayoral Attention, Women's Groups
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson
Posted Thursday, November 12, 2009
(National and Cleveland, Ohio Area News)
By Kathy Wray Coleman
(Editor of The Determiner Weekly and The Kathy Wray Coleman
Online News Blog and Media Network)
The group of protesters that rallied on the steps of the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on Tuesday with demands to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland City Council around the Imperial Avenue Murders of 11 Black women, allegedly at the hands of rapist Anthony Sowell, did not go unnoticed.
Television media from all of the Cleveland area's prominent news stations rallied to the group asking questions as to an agenda that they outlined in a letter to the mayor and City Council hours before the protest.
“While there have been a number of vigils around the Imperial Avenue killings that we certainly support, we must look beyond the cosmetic dialogue and address the need for substantive change in public policy around the missing persons issues by way of city ordinances that create cooperative criteria,” the letter read. “We also must address the need for education and training to create a sensitive law enforcement venue that understands what it means to families and the victims themselves to be missing and in many cases missing because of illegalities like rape and other violent behavior.”
Among the group's demands are comprehensive ordinances around missing persons, more women, Blacks and other minorities in leadership roles in the Cleveland Police and Law Departments, and an investigation of police conduct around the Imperial Avenue killings. The group also made it clear that while those women are the focus all women are part of the agenda as to their demand for fairness and equity in all possible arenas.
“We also seek support with respect to violence against all women, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic's, age or sexual orientation,” said community activist Genevieve Mitchell, who authored the letter along with Sharon Danaan, also a community activist.
Don Bryant, organizer of the "The People's Forum," an oganization of grassroots leaders in the Cleveland, Oh. area, added that when people are missing "something has to be done about it."
Blain Griffin, Director of Community Relations for the city of Cleveland, quickly responded to the call for reform around women's issues on behalf of the mayor, setting up a meeting for Monday with some 12 women, most of whom were among the protesters and are leaders of various organizations such as the Carl Stokes Brigade, Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, the Lucasville Riots Fairness In Prosecution Grassroots Organization, and Survivors and Victims of Tragedy.
“We appreciate the mayor's respect of this endeavor, and his concern for “The Imperial 11” and other women of the community," said Journalist Kathy Wray Coleman, editor of the online Black magazine The Determiner Weekly and an organizer of Tuesday's protest. “We, however, will not be moved until we see an effort to adopt the reasonable demands that we view as pertinent to protecting women in this community, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. This is important as to ensuring that the 'Imperial 11' did not die in vain.”
The aggressiveness of the group has prompted other Black women to gather to form groups also. Former Cleveland Ward 4 Council candidate Marcia McCoy has established a group of both women and men, and a select group of women will meet with U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-11) next week at the offices of the Call and Post Newspaper, a Cleveland weekly that targets the Black community.
“We encourage women leaders throughout the community to develop groups and we hope to come together later this year in strong force with a common agenda for the betterment of the community,” said Coleman. “It has been long overdue for women of all backgrounds to stand in solidarity to demand revisions in public policy that support fairness and equity for us and we invite men's groups to join us in this necessary but congenial fight.”
Posted Thursday, November 12, 2009
(National and Cleveland, Ohio Area News)
By Kathy Wray Coleman
(Editor of The Determiner Weekly and The Kathy Wray Coleman
Online News Blog and Media Network)
The group of protesters that rallied on the steps of the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on Tuesday with demands to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland City Council around the Imperial Avenue Murders of 11 Black women, allegedly at the hands of rapist Anthony Sowell, did not go unnoticed.
Television media from all of the Cleveland area's prominent news stations rallied to the group asking questions as to an agenda that they outlined in a letter to the mayor and City Council hours before the protest.
“While there have been a number of vigils around the Imperial Avenue killings that we certainly support, we must look beyond the cosmetic dialogue and address the need for substantive change in public policy around the missing persons issues by way of city ordinances that create cooperative criteria,” the letter read. “We also must address the need for education and training to create a sensitive law enforcement venue that understands what it means to families and the victims themselves to be missing and in many cases missing because of illegalities like rape and other violent behavior.”
Among the group's demands are comprehensive ordinances around missing persons, more women, Blacks and other minorities in leadership roles in the Cleveland Police and Law Departments, and an investigation of police conduct around the Imperial Avenue killings. The group also made it clear that while those women are the focus all women are part of the agenda as to their demand for fairness and equity in all possible arenas.
“We also seek support with respect to violence against all women, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic's, age or sexual orientation,” said community activist Genevieve Mitchell, who authored the letter along with Sharon Danaan, also a community activist.
Don Bryant, organizer of the "The People's Forum," an oganization of grassroots leaders in the Cleveland, Oh. area, added that when people are missing "something has to be done about it."
Blain Griffin, Director of Community Relations for the city of Cleveland, quickly responded to the call for reform around women's issues on behalf of the mayor, setting up a meeting for Monday with some 12 women, most of whom were among the protesters and are leaders of various organizations such as the Carl Stokes Brigade, Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, the Lucasville Riots Fairness In Prosecution Grassroots Organization, and Survivors and Victims of Tragedy.
“We appreciate the mayor's respect of this endeavor, and his concern for “The Imperial 11” and other women of the community," said Journalist Kathy Wray Coleman, editor of the online Black magazine The Determiner Weekly and an organizer of Tuesday's protest. “We, however, will not be moved until we see an effort to adopt the reasonable demands that we view as pertinent to protecting women in this community, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. This is important as to ensuring that the 'Imperial 11' did not die in vain.”
The aggressiveness of the group has prompted other Black women to gather to form groups also. Former Cleveland Ward 4 Council candidate Marcia McCoy has established a group of both women and men, and a select group of women will meet with U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-11) next week at the offices of the Call and Post Newspaper, a Cleveland weekly that targets the Black community.
“We encourage women leaders throughout the community to develop groups and we hope to come together later this year in strong force with a common agenda for the betterment of the community,” said Coleman. “It has been long overdue for women of all backgrounds to stand in solidarity to demand revisions in public policy that support fairness and equity for us and we invite men's groups to join us in this necessary but congenial fight.”
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