Pictured are Cleveland mayoral candidates Justin Bibb and Council President Kevin Kelley (wearing red tie)

By CLEVELANDURBANNEWS.COM — Led by Black on Black Crime Inc. and Imperial Women Coalition, Cleveland activists, in cooperation with the Cleveland African-American Museum, will host the Cleveland Activists' Inner City Mayoral Candidates In Person Debate on Sat., Oct 16 beginning at noon at the museum at 1765 Crawford Road in the historic Hough neighborhood in Ward 7 on the city's largely Black east side.

The event, which will be moderated by Rhonda Crowder and Kevin "Chill" Heard from the Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists, is free and open-to-the public. Free food will be provided on a first -come- first serve basis, organizers said.

Mayoral candidates Justin Bibb and Council President Kevin Kelley will both be there for Saturday's debate, organizers said, and will square off on Tues, Nov. 2 for the general election. Current Mayor Frank Jackson, the city's four-term Black mayor, is retiring at the end of the year after nearly 16 years as mayor and did not seek an unprecedented fifth term.

Other activist groups associated with the upcoming debate include Black Money Matters, Black Women's PAC of greater Cleveland, Brick House Wellness Center for Women, Cleveland Peacemakers, Peace in the Hood, Carl Stokes Brigade, and Black Man's Army.

"The Cleveland African-American Museum is the hub for community events and we welcome people to the museum for this year's inner city debate sponsored by community activists in cooperation with the museum," said Museum Executive Director Frances Caldwell.

Cleveland activists and organizer Kathy Wray Coleman, who leads Imperial Women Coalition and Women's March Cleveland and is organizing the event along with Caldwell and activist Michael Nelson of Black Money Matters, said that "the debate will be an opportunity for people in the Black community and others to hear from the two mayoral runoff candidates and to pose questions to them on issues of public concern, particularly since Cleveland will have the opportunity next month to vote in a new mayor for the first time in 16 years."

Coleman added that "community activists say thanks and farewell to Mayor Jackson as we look forward to working with his successor to help move the city forward on issues ranging from jobs and education to excessive force and police reforms, neighborhoods and heightened crime, and how city officials will spend millions of COVID-19 federal dollars earmarked to help poor Black communities in Cleveland during a pandemic."

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.