CLEVELANDURBANNEWS.COM-Cleveland, Ohio-State Sen Nickie Antonio (D-23), a Lakewood Democrat, state Rep.Juanita Brent (D-12), a Cleveland Democrat, and Cleveland Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones will keynote the sixth year anniversary rally and march events relative to the escape from captivity of Cleveland Seymour Avenue rape and kidnapping victims Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight at 5 pm on Monday, May 6 at 2207 Seymour Avenue in Cleveland where serial rapist Ariel Castro's home once stood. (Editor's note: Jones was a no show)

May 6, 2019 marks the sixth-year anniversary of the escape, after a decade of captivity, of the trio from Castro's Seymour Avenue home on Cleveland's west side, the home of which has since been demolished and Castro dead from a self-hanging in a state prison. (Call organizer Kathy Wray Coleman, of Imperialwomencoalition.com and Women's March Cleveland at 216-659-0473, Coleman having organized anniversary rallies on Seymour Avenue since 2015).

Other rally speakers include Black Women's PAC President Elaine Gohlstin, activists Shawn Howard, Khalid Samad of Peace in the Hood and the Task Force for Community Mobilization, Genevieve Mitchell of the Carl Stokes Brigade, Laura Cowan of the Laura Cowan Foundation, Marva Patterson of the Carl Stokes Brigade, and Black on Black Crime Inc President Alfred Porter Jr, and greater Cleveland victims of heinous violence and their family members.

A fired Cleveland schools bus driver, Castro was subsequently convicted of numerous criminal charges, including multiple counts of rape and kidnapping, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole He hanged himself in prison hardly a month into his sentence.

After getting abducted by Castro, Berry, Knight and DeJesus were initially chained in the basement of the two-story home, which was later demolished as part of a plea deal with Castro, though Berry ultimately became Castro's upstairs bedroom slave. Berry was snatched up on April 21, 2003, blocks from her home and while she was leaving her job at the Burger King Restaurant at West 110th Street and Lorain Avenue.She will turn 31 on April 22, and was nearly 17 when Castro kidnapped her.

DeJesus, now 29, knew Castro's now grown daughter, a peer, and was 14 when she was kidnapped. Like Berry, DeJesus grew up in the neighborhood, and close to the Castro home on the now infamous Seymour Avenue. Knight, now 37 and a women's advocate spokesperson, was a small frame 21-year-old when she was abducted by Castro. Knight disappeared on August 21, 2002, Berry on April 21, 2003, and DeJesus, on April 2, 2004.Organizers, mainly grassroots activist women, say the event will also address the Violence Against Women Act, local, county, statewide and national public policy changes sought, and a demand for resources as to violence against women and children

All three have written best selling books on the ordeal, which made international news.

Human trafficking, and the epidemic of missing persons are also of concern and will be discussed at the anniversary event May 6, organizers said.

Additionally, activists want more equitable distributions of resources in educational arenas for women and girls per the Violence Against Women Act, and via other resource venues, particularly regarding  poor, minority, and inner city women and girls.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. 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.