Official Women's March Cleveland Anniversary: Jan 19, 2019.

CLEVELANDURBANNEWS.COM-CLEVELAND, Ohio- Women’s March Cleveland is pleased to announce that Susan Bro,whose daughter, anti-racist activist Heather Heyer, was murdered by a White nationalist from Ohio in Charlottesville, VA,during a counter-protest at the Unite the Right rally in 2017, is a keynote speaker at Women’s March Cleveland on Jan. 19.

Also a featured speaker at Women's March Cleveland is Samaria Rice, the mother of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, whom Cleveland police shot and killed in 2013 at a park and recreation center on the city's west side

The Cleveland march, which will host speakers from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds,including elected officials, grassroots activists and area high school students, is in coordination with sister marches in communities across the globe and some 200 happening nationwide,  seven in Ohio alone.

Bro stated that she looks forward to speaking and rallying in Cleveland.

“Women have always been the glue that holds society together,” said Susan Bro. “We move to repair it when it manages to fracture. I march to ensure we heal our society from the grassroots up and out. Together, united despite our differences, we are an immovable force.”

Community activist women are excited that Rice and Bro are  keynote speakers along with Black Women's Political Action Committee President Elaine Gohlstin of Cleveland, who is also president and CEO of the Harvard Community Services Center in Cleveland.

"We are honored to have Samaria Rice and Susan Bro join us as keynote speakers at Women's March Cleveland's anniversary event," said Kathy Wray Coleman, organizer for Women's March Cleveland and a grassroots community activist who leads the Imperial Women Coalition, a women's right group founded in 2009 relative to the murders of 11 Black women on Imperial Avenue on Cleveland's east side by serial killer and death row inmate Anthony Sowell.

"In the face of unspeakable loss, Susan Bro and Samaria Rice continue to give back to the community, and we salute both of them," Coleman said.

"Ms Gohlstin is a longtime community servant and we appreciate her support in accepting our invitation to speak," said Coleman.

Speakers at 11am on Public Square Jan 19 include Samara Rice, Cleveland Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland, state Sen Nickie Antonio, state Rep Erica Crowley of Youngstown, Ruth Gray of the National Black Congress greater Cleveland chapter, Yvonka Hall of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, activists Genevieve Mitchell, Cheryl Lessin and Honey Bell Bey, Solon Girls Up , Tessa Xuan, chair of OPAWL (Ohio Progressive Asian Women's Leadership), Kenyona Sunny Mathews, who is the executive director of Women's march Northeast, Ohio, high school students Natalie Alonzo, who fights for the rights of immigrants,  and Cynthia Connally, who is Native American, Krittika Banerji of Solon High School Girl Up, Naomi Pepper of Planned Parenthood,  Zerga Anid of my Project USA, and Dr Tannika Sheppard, of the Baptist Women of North America, and president of the BWNA.

At 1pm at Old Stone Church Bro and Elaine Gohlstin of the Black Women's Pac are the keynote speakers. Other speakers include the Rev Cynthia Smith of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, who will do a salute to Martin Luther King, state Rep Juanita Brent of Cleveland,  Rev. Pamela Pinkney-Butts, activists Valerie Robinson and Brenda Adrine, and Laura Rodriquez Carbone of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Women's Caucus and the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.

Songster Michael Nelson will also perform.