Women's March Cleveland 2021 to go forward on January 23 with keynote speakers state Rep. Stephanie Howse, activist and motivational speaker Genevieve Mitchell, and Cleveland Councilwoman Jasmin Santana.... Also speaking are educators, activists and announced candidates for the congressional seat soon to be vacated by Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of County Councilwoman Shontel Brown, former state Rep John Barnes Jr., former state senator Nina Turner, and Lavern Jones Gore.... "We welcome women and their supporters to the 5th annual Women's March Cleveland rally and march as this is a new era for women as we continue the fight against violence against women and for women's rights and civil and human rights, particularly for Black women of Cleveland, women of color, single mothers, and poor women," said Women's March Cleveland head organizer Kathy Wray Coleman....By Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's Black digital news leaders

Above picture: Led by Cleveland activist and Women's March Cleveland head organizer Kathy Wray Coleman (second from right and wearing purple cap) hundreds of women and their supporters march along Harvard Avenue on Cleveland's largely Black east side on Oct 17, 2020 to demand equal rights for women following a women's march rally hosted by Women's March Cleveland at the Harvard Community Services Center as part of a national women's march held across the country that day. Greater Cleveland women, again led by Women's March Cleveland, will march again on Jan 23,  2021, three days after the swearing in of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris beginning with a 1 pm rally at Market Square across from the Westside Market at West 25th and Lorain Ave on Cleveland's near west side. The rally will be followed by a 2:30 pm march and caravan across the Carnegie Bridge.....By Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

CLEVELAND, Ohio-Women's March Cleveland will hold its fifth annual rally and women's march beginning at 1 pm. on Sat. Jan. 23, 2021 at Market Square on the city's near west side across from the Westside Market with a 2:30 pm anniversary march and caravan across the Carnegie Bridge.The contact phone number for the nonpartisan event is Women's March Cleveland at  (216) 659-0473. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE FOR THIS EVENT

From left: Keynote speakers Ohio state Rep Stephanie House, Cleveland community activist Genevieve Mitchell and Cleveland Ward 14 Councilwoman Jasmin Santana

Event keynote speakers are state Rep. Stephanie Howse of Cleveland, whose speech will include a discussion on the dangers of "Stand Your Ground" legislation in Ohio and elsewhere as it relates to Black women and Black people, activist and motivational speaker Genevieve Mitchell of Cleveland, and Cleveland Ward 14 Councilwoman Jasmin Santana. 

From left:  Cuyahoga County Councilwoman and County Democratic Party Chairwoman Shontel Brown, former state Rep John Barnes Jr., former state senator Nina Turner, who also co-chaired Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign, and Lavern Jones Gore

Four of the publicly announced candidates for the 11th Congressional District congressional seat soon to be vacated by future HUD secretary Rep Marcia L Fudge, who has been nominated for the post by President-elect Joe Biden, will speak, namely County Councilwoman Shontel Brown, former state Rep John Barnes Jr. former state senator Nina Turner,  and Lavern Jones Gore.

Brown, Barnes Jr, and Turner,  a co-chair of Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign and a Sanders surrogate, are Democrats, and Jones Gore is a Republican.

Brown is also chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, the first Black woman to hold the post.

"We welcome women and their supporters to the 5th annual Women's March Cleveland rally and march as this is a new era for women as we continue the fight against violence against women and for women's rights and civil and human rights, particularly for Black women of Cleveland, women of color, single mothers, and poor women," said Women's March Cleveland head organizer Kathy Wray Coleman, a Black Cleveland activist and community organizer. "We do not intend to be subordinated relative to public policy measures that discriminate against women and this upcoming anniversary march is a coming together of women of greater Cleveland across racial, ethic, partisan, religious and socioeconomic lines during a pandemic and during a time of unprecedented political, racial and economic strife in this country."

State Rep Juanita Brent of Cleveland and state Sen Nickie Antonio of Lakewood (pictured from left), who have stood with greater Cleveland women and supported each and every women's march since the first march in 2017, will speak and give a history of the women's march in Cleveland since 2017 and legislative policies impacting Ohio women.

Other speakers include Akron City Council President Tara Samples, area clergy,  educators Dr. Robin Simmons and Dr. Mary Rice of the Metro Cleveland Alliance of Black School Educators, who is also an East Cleveland School Board member, Dr. Bennanaye Brooks of the League of Women Voters Greater Cleveland Chapter, and community activists Delores Gray of the Brickhouse Wellness Empowerment Center, Lee Thompson of Refusefacism. org, Don Bryant of the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network and Peace Action, and Alfred Porter Jr. of Black on Black Crime. 

Coronavirus safety precautions are required, including face-masks and social distancing, organizers said.   

On Jan 21,  2017, days after President Trump's inauguration, hundreds of thousands of  women in Cleveland and across the country, led by the national women's march out of Washington D.C., took to the streets for the first women's march to march against President Trump's racist and anti-female rhetoric during the 2016 presidential campaign and to fight for women's rights in general, the largest single day protest in American history.  

Women's March Cleveland has been consistent in hosting an anniversary women's march each January since the first women's march in January of  2017 where 15,000 women across Northeast Ohio took to the streets of downtown Cleveland to march for equality. 

Organizers this year say that the consensus is to go forward with  the event so women can be heard and that Cleveland women who have been fighting since 2017 for a shakeup in Washington, D.C. have won.

They won on that issue, they say, with a new president and vice president set to take office Jan 20  whose policies are more aligned with their goals.

But racism and sexism  are still alive and well in America and women have yet to reach parity with men, which is partly why women in Cleveland decided to host the annual women's march set for next week. 

"This march is needed and will be helpful to women and the community on getting the message out on women's issues," said Elaine Gohlstin, the mistress of ceremonies for the event and president of the Black Women's PAC of greater Cleveland.

 A few of the several speakers for Cleveland's Jan 23 anniversary march will speak at the end of the march, said organizers, and after the women and their supporters march across the Carnegie Bridge from the west side to the east side following the 1 pm Market Square rally. 

Speeches will be limited to up to three minutes for each speaker, except for the keynote speakers, who will speak four minutes each, organizers said.

The women will also salute the election of Kamala Harris as the country's first Black and first female vice president at the event and will denounce the failure by the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute the two White Cleveland cops involved in the 2014 deadly shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice. 

Other event issues include public education, reproductive rights, immigration and legal system reform, Blacks lives, equal pay, climate change, the Violence Against Women's Act, voting rights, opposition to pro-"Stand Your Ground" legislation in Ohio and elsewhere, racism, sexism, homophobia, excessive force against Black women, and disparities regarding to Black and Latino as to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Organizers said  they will also push for more women to be represented in science and technology fields at the upcoming rally and march. 

Cleveland is a largely Black city of some 385,000 people that sits in the 29 percent Cuyahoga County, the second largest of Ohio's 88 counties and a Democratic stronghold.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.