Press Release: 5pm press conference, balloon launch and rally on Friday, August 2, 2013 near intersection at Shaw and Hayden Avenues in East Cleveland where the bodies of 3 Black women were found for greater Cleveland Black clergy, the Cleveland NAACP, community activists, Black elected officials, others to call for President Obama and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to declare a state of emergency as to missing women and violence against women in Cleveland and East Cleveland, groups want Obama and Kasich to bring in national guard to search abandoned and vacant buildings for missing women, groups also want other resources, and for a countywide missing persons unit and center, rally organizers include the United Pastors in Mission, the East Cleveland Concerned Pastors for Progress, the Baptist Ministers Alliance, Imperial Women, Audacity of Hope Foundation, Oppressed People's Nation, Peace in the Hood, the Task Force for Community Mobilization, the Carl Stokes Brigade, the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network, Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, the Women's Federation

From the Metro Desk of Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's most read online Black newspaper. (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com) and (www.clevelandurbannews.com). Reach Cleveland Urban News.Com by phone at 216-659-0473 and by email at editor@clevelandurbannews.com  

CLEVELAND, Ohio- The United Pastors in Mission, East Cleveland Concerned Pastors for Progress, and the Baptist Ministers Conference will hold a press conference, balloon launch and rally with Cleveland NAACP officials, community activists and Black elected officials on Friday August 2, 2013 at the southwest corner of the intersection of Shaw and Hayden Avenues in East Cleveland near where the bodies of 3 Black women were found two weeks ago by police in a fetal position and in plastic bags.

 Greater Cleveland's Black clergy, led by Bishop Tony Minor of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry in Cleveland, Pastor David Hunter of Bright Star Missionary Baptist Church in East Cleveland,  Pastor Shawn Braxton of New Life Cathedral Church in East Cleveland and Bishop Eugene Ward of Greater Love Missionary Baptist Church in Cleveland will join Imperial Women, Black on Black Crime Inc., the Oppressed People's Nation, Peace in the Hood,  the Carl Stokes Brigade, the Task Force for Community Mobilization, the Women's Federation  the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network, Revolution Books, Survivors/Victims of Tragedy, the Audacity of Hope Foundation, Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, other activists groups, Black women and victims family members to call  on President Obama and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to declare a state of emergency on missing women and violence against women in the majority Black cities of Cleveland and East Cleveland 

They also want the president and governor to to send in resources, including the national guard to find missing women in vacant and abandoned  buildings in those cities. But they caution that it should be done legally and without violating privacy rights or the rights of law abiding landlords.  

 The groups also want a countywide missing persons database and a missing persons center.

 From left: Angela Deskins,  Shirellda Terry and Shetisha Sheeley 

The commu nity groups are upset about the epidemic of violence against women in greater Cleveland and said that they will rally also to support either victims or victims families as to the aforementionedEast Cleveland killings of Angela Deskins, Shirellda Terry and Shetisha Sheeley by accused serial killer Michael Madsion, and Cleveland west side rape victims Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight. Other women for whom the groups are rallying for include Cleveland ease side rape and murder victims Jazmine Trotter, Christine Malone and Ashley Leszyeski, whose bodies were found earlier this year, and the 11 Black women strangled and murdered on Imperial Ave., also in Cleveland, between 2008 and 2009 and by convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell.

East Cleveland is an impoverished suburb of Cleveland, a major American city.

For contacts for the rally, vigil, and march call United Pastor's in Mission Executive Director Rev. Tony Minor at 216-696-2715, Baptist Ministers Conference President The Rev David Hunter. East Cleveland Concerned Pastors for Progress President Shawn Braxton at 216-851-2777, the Cleveland NAACP at 216-231-6260, Imperial Women Leader Kathy Wray Coleman at 216-659-0473, Oppressed People's Nation Chairman Ernest Smith at 216-682-5268, Black on Black Crime Founder Art McKoy at 216-253-4070, Peace in the Hood President Khalid Samad 216-538-4043.

In addition to Black clergy of greater Cleveland rally speakers include family members of greater Cleveland rape and murder victims, Cleveland NAACP Executive Director Sheila Wright, State Sen Shirley Smith (D-21), State Rep. Bill Patmon (D-10), East Cleveland City Mayor Garty Norton, East Cleveland City Councilwoman Dr. Joy Jordan,  Ward 6 Councilwoman Mamie Mitchell ,  Minister Tonya Williams, Community Activists Kathy Wray Coleman of Imperial Women, Ernest Smith of Oppressed People's Nation, Art McKoy of Black on Black Crime Inc., Khalid Samad of Peace in the Hood, Abdul Qahhar of the Cleveland Chapter of the New Black Panther Party, and Dr. Stewart and Valerie Robinson of Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor.