CLEVELAND, Ohio-A mass rally for justice for seventeen-year old Trayvon Martin will be held on Sun., April 15 from 3 to 6 pm at The Second New Hope Baptist Church, 2917 E. 116th St. at Buckeye Ave. in Cleveland., Oh., telephone number 216- 229-2022.
Contacts for the rally are Sears Mitchell at 216-548-4478, the office of the Vision of Angels Youth Foundation at 216-543-5330, Imperial Women Leader Kathy Wray Coleman at 216-932-3114, Peace in the Hood Leader Khalid Samad at 216-538-4043, and Black on Black Crime Founder Art McKoy at 216-253-4070.
The event is supported by Cleveland area grassroots organizations and elected officials and is sponsored by the Vision of Angels Youth Foundation and its 40- member youth dance troop, which is led by Sears Mitchell, 46, a blind man who says he is handi-capable and not handicapped, and that he can see through the injustice of the Florida legal system in refusing to charge White neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman for killing the unarmed Black Travon in Feb. in Sandford, FL.
The refusal of Florida law enforcement authorities to charge Zimmerman with Trayvon's murder for following him, stalking him and then gunning the teen down has sparked nationwide protests led by Civil Rights activists such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and National NAACP President Ben Jealous.
"I can see through a lot of things and the injustice in the Trayvon Martin case is just one of them," said Mitchell." We invite everybody to the mass rally and urge people to wear hoodies because Trayvon was killed wearing a hoodie. This rally will be well attended and will include people of all ages and backgrounds coming together."
Sears said that his group will rally from 3 to 4 pm outside of the church and then gather inside for a praise dance session by his dance troop and others, and another rally with speakers that will include himself, area clergy, Second New Hope Baptist Church Asst. Pastor Mike Oliver, youth participants, Peace in the Hood Founder Khalid Samad, Imperial Women Leader Kathy Wray Coleman, Cleveland Jobs With Justice Executive Director Debbie Kline, Black on Black Crime Founder Art McKoy, Oppressed People's Nation Leader Ernest Smith , Cleveland Councilpersons Mamie Mitchell, Jeff Johnson and Zach Reed, State Reps. Bill Patmon (D-10) and John Barnes (D12) , and a host of others.
Other participating organizations and people include 100 Black Men, the Moses Sisters, Peace in the Hood, Cleveland Urban News.Com and the Kathy Wray Coleman Online News Blog. Com, the Cleveland African American Museum, Cleveland Jobs With Justice, the United Pastor's in Mission, Occupy Cleveland, Cleveland Jobs With Justice, the Task Force for Community Mobilization, the National Institute For Restoriative Justice, the Greater Cleveland Shurah Council, the United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries, the International Council for Urban Peace, Justice and Empowerment, V.O.I.C.E.S., the Northeastern Ohio Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, Cleveland F.I.S.T, Workers's World, the Imperial Women, Divine Mind Grind Organization, Enlightened Jewels, Spirit of Sankofa Center for Women, The Social Justice Committee of Greater Cleveland, The Urban Justice Society, Organize Ohio, Henley Consultants, the Oppressed People's Nation, the Carl Stokes Brigade, the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network, the People's Forum, the People's Fight Back Center, the Joaquin Hicks Real People's Movement, People for the Imperial Act, the Bronaugh Sisters Committee, the People's Forum, the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network, the Committee to Bring Home Jamela and Jamyla, the Cleveland African-American Museum, the People's Fight Back Center, the Lucasville Uprising Freedom Network, Occupy the Hood Cleveland, Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, Women Speak Out For Peace and Justice, the Baptist Ministry Conference, the Family Connection, the Spot Youth Empowerment Organization, Revolution Books, In Touch, the Audacity of Hope Foundation, the Knowledge Youth Group Committee, Survivors/Victims of Tragedy and Cleveland City Council members.
Reach Journalist Kathy Wray Coleman at editor@clevelandurbannews.com and phone number: 216-932-3114.
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