By Minister Dale Edwards, executive director of the Call and Post Newspaper
CLEVELAND, Ohio-Led by Cleveland activist and organizer Kathy Wray Coleman of the Imperial Women Coalition, greater Cleveland women hosted the 5th Annual International Women's Day March Cleveland rally and march on March 8 on Market Square in Cleveland.
Coleman has organized the International Women's Day rallies and marches in Cleveland since the first rally and march in 2017.
Keynote speakers for the rally were state Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is also the minority leader in the Ohio House of Representatives and leads the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC), Dayton, Ohio Mayor Nan Whaley, and an activist/
Both Whaley and Sykes spoke on the oppression of women as comunity activists stood with them on stage wrapped in symbolic chains to bring attention to the long term oppression of women.(Editor's note: Chui was only a speaker and has never lead on organized an International Women's Day march or rally in Cleveland)
Whaley also spoke on her opposition to stand your ground legislation in Ohio and gun violence, including the high profile mass shooting in Dayton in 2019 by 24-year-old Connor Betts, who shot and killed nine people and injured 17 others.
International Women's Day was first recognized globally in 1911.
Events were held across the world on March 8 to celebrate International Women's Day, a day of civil awareness for women worldwide that is designed to combat sex and race discrimination and promote women's rights.
The purpose was also to recognize the accomplishments of women, and to push for public policies across the board for the betterment of women and girls.
The theme of this year's march in Cleveland was #ChoosetoChallenge.
The MC for the event was Elaine Gohlstein, president of the Black Women's PAC of greater Cleveland.
Other speakers included state Rep Juanita Brent of Cleveland Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairwoman Shontel Brown, state Sen Nickie Antonio of Lakewood, Cleveland Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones, Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists Co-Vice President Rhonda Crowder, activists Carol Steiner and Cheryl Lessin of Refusefacism. org, activist Alfred Porter Jr., president of Black on Black Crime, activist Delores Gray of the Brickhouse Wellness Center, the Rev. Pamela Pinkney Butts. and Nate Simpson of Blacks Lives Matter Today.
The first Black woman to lead the county Democratic party, Brown said that the fight for equality for women is never-ending and that women will continue to be a force to recon with on public policy matters across the board.
