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CLEVELAND, Ohio- Ohio state Sen and Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-23), whose 23rd state senate district includes Parma, Lakewood and 14 of Cleveland's 17 wards, was sworn in for another term on Tue, Dec 27 at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart, the first and only Black elected to the Ohio Supreme court and a former 8th District Court of Appeals judge in Cuyahoga County.
Those in attendance included dignitaries and elected officials from Parma and Lakewood such as Lakewood Mayor Meghan George, Clevelanders, community activists, residents and members of Antonio's family.
Sen. Antonio will also be sworn in next week in Columbus, the state capital. She is the first openly gay state legislator in Ohio to serve as minority leader. Among other venues, she is now the state senator of most of the largely Black city of Cleveland, following redistricting this year.
"I am honored to help bring the voices of all in district 23," said Antonio. "I do not believe that it is impossible. It is my job."
A Democrat and one of two state senators representing the greater Cleveland area, Antonio, thanked her supporters and staff members at the event as well as the politicians and community members, and she said that much work is needed relative to Ohio's Republican-dominated senate, which will tackle issues beginning in 2023 ranging from gun control and abortion, to voting rights, violence against women, tax cuts and the state's biennial budget.
The state senator commended community activists in attendance for their work in the community, namely Cleveland activists Billy Sharp, Delores Gray of the Carl Stokes Brigade and Kathy Wray Coleman, who leads Women's March Cleveland and the Imperial Women Coalition.
"Sometimes one of the most important things you can do is show up, and at times it might be the only thing you can do," said Antonio, referencing community activists at the swearing-in who have rallied and marched with her in Cleveland and greater Cleveland in the trenches on issues such as reproductive and voting rights, violence against women, and excessive force.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com the most read Black digital newspaper and 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.
