By Kathy Wray Coleman, publisher, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper(www.clevelandurbannews.com)
CLEVELAND, Ohio- Family members and attorneys of alleged excessive force Cleveland police deadly shooting victims and community activists will attend the Cleveland NAACP meeting tonight, Monday, March 11, 2013 at 7 pm, 1919 E. 107th St and Chester Ave in Cleveland at the University Circle United Methodist Church. (For more information contact the Cleveland NAACP at 216-231-6260 or The Imperial Women at 216-659-0473).
After seeking the opportunity to speak for at least the last five years, newly elected chapter president the Rev Hilton Smith (pictured in Black suit and red tie) has invited community activists to be on the agenda at the meeting but said that the media are not invited.
Speakers include Criminal Defense and Civil Rights Attorney Terry Gilbert (pictured in brown suit), the family of slain Parma father of two Daniel Ficker, 27 at his death, the mother of slain aspiring rapper Kenneth Smith, 20, and Gilbert for the family of murdered unarmed Black 137- bullets Cleveland police shooting victim Timothy Russell (pictured with beard), 43.
Gilbert represents the Russell, Smith and Ficker families.
The uncle and aunt of slain unarmed Black 137-bullets Cleveland police shooting victim Malissa Williams (pictured) said he will attend to say thanks to the community for support.
Other speakers include Cleveland Black Contractors Association President Ken Bender, and Community Activists Mary Seawright, Bettie Simpson, Prisscilla Cooper, Larry Bresler, Frances Caldwell, Kimberly Brown, Kathy Wray Coleman, Gerald Henley, Entrepreneur Michael Nelson, Ernie Smith and Al Porter( tentative for Porter, who has to work).
Activists will present in groups as to welfare rights and jobs, and disparities in sentencing against Blacks in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas per a study commissioned by the Cleveland NAACP, and as to the federal county corruption probe, including the prejudicial sentence against former Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven Terry.
Other topics are the deadly Cleveland police shootings with Attorney Gilbert headlining, alleged foreclosure and mortgage impropriety to the detriment of the greater Cleveland community, and educational issues relative to the predominantly Black Cleveland Municipal School District.
Community activists groups and/or their members that are participants include The Imperial Women, The Oppressed People's Nation, The African-American Museum, The Cleveland Black Contractors Association, The Urban Education Strategy Group, Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor, Ohio Family Rights, The National Association for Parental Equality, The Carl Stokes Brigade, Black on Black Crime Inc, The People's Forum, The Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network, The Northeast Ohio Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, Organize Ohio, The Family Connection Center, Black on Black Crime, and The Cleveland Chapter of The New Black Panther Party.
Many of the community activists are dues paying Cleveland NAACP members, including Frances Caldwell, Denise Taylor, Bettie Simpson, Dr Stewart and Valerie Robinson, Entrepreneur Michael Nelson, and Kathy Wray Coleman, who leads The Imperial Women.
The activists said that they hope the Cleveland NAACP will help them help the Black community and others on pertinent issues of public concern from deadly Cleveland police shootings, to welfare subsidies, poor women and children, foreclosure impropriety, and public education, including Ohio's unconstitutional public school funding formula.
Reach Cleveland Urban News.Com by email at editor@clevelandurbannews.com and by phone at 216-659-0473.
