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Report on Cleveland's Consent decree for police reforms shows progress, Mayor Bibb, Judge Oliver say...But ongoing work is needed before it will end, Judge Oliver said...By Clevelandurbannews.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader

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Above picture: Cleveland police, in hot pursuit, chase the car driven by Timothy Russell, 43, with Malissa Williams, 30, as a passenger, in 2012, a chase that began in downtown Cleveland and ended in the parking lot of Heritage Middle School in neighboring East Cleveland. Both Black and both unarmed, and neither of them wanted by the law, Williams and Russell were unceremoniously gunned down by 13 non-Black Cleveland cops slinging 137 bullets. A consent decree for police reforms with Cleveland and the Department of Justice followed and remains pending before Federal District Court Judge Solomon Oliver.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor, associate publisher

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio-The independent federal monitoring team has released its 17th Semiannual Report on the City of Cleveland's compliance with the Consent Decree, marking progress in police reforms, Mayor Justin M. Bibb said in a press release on Thursday.

Cleveland's consent decree is a legally-binding agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, established in 2015 after a federal investigation found a "pattern or practice" of excessive force and other constitutional violations by the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP). It followed the "137 shots" police killings of Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell, 12-year-old Tamir Rice, and a host of others, mainly Blacks. At the time, Frank Jackson was the mayor. Bibb succeeded him in office in 2021 and is up for reelection this year.

The decree mandates reforms in areas like use of force, community engagement, and bias-free policing, and is overseen by a federal judge and an independent Police Monitoring Team to ensure the CDP implements and sustains required changes before the federal oversight ends.

"This report reflects real, measurable progress. Achieving 20 upgrades without any downgrades shows that our reform efforts are on the right track," said Mayor Bibb, 38 and the city's fourth Black mayor. "But this is only part of the story. As always, we remain focused on the ongoing work needed to ensure equitable and trusted policing in every neighborhood and executing an all-of-government approach to public safety and accountability across Cleveland."

The report highlights 20 upgrades across key areas, with zero downgrades — demonstrating sustained, meaningful improvements in how the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) operates and engages with the community.

Dr. Leigh Anderson, the new executive director of the mayor's Police Accountability Team, added "The breadth of these upgrades highlights how deeply embedded reform efforts are across the department. We remain committed to transparent collaboration and addressing areas still in need of improvement."

At a federal status conference hearing held on Wednesday, Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr., the overseer of the Consent Decree, expressed appreciation for the city's progress in moving toward compliance in multiple areas during the first half of 2025 and encouraged all parties to maintain the momentum. The judge said more progress is needed before he will consider ending the decree.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com are the most-read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio. Tel. 216-659-0473. Email-editor@clevelandurbannews.com.

Last Updated on Friday, 03 October 2025 02:38

Women's March Cleveland, grassroots activist rally on City Hall steps on Sept 20, 2025. taking on President Trump and his attack on historical Civil Rights legislation...By Clevelandurbannews.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader

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Women's March Cleveland, grassroots activists rally on City Hall steps on Sept. 20, 2025, taking on President Trump and his attack on historical Civil Rights legislation...By Clevelandurbannews.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader

Above picture: Women's March Cleveland at a march from Market Square Park in Cleveland. Photo by David Petkiewicz of Cleveland.com. Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio-Women's March Cleveland and other activist groups rallied for the  "Cleveland, Oh Make Billionaires Pay & Fight For Women's Rights Rally & March" from the steps of City Hall in downtown Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. The event was part of a national day of action in cities across the country, commissioned by Women's March National.

The crowd was small, but intimate, bringing out the grassroots sector of the community.

Speakers included Cleveland Councilwoman Deborah Gray, activist and Ohio State School Board Member Delores Gray, Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairperson David Brock, Mayosha Baybach Vales of the Black Women's Army, Cindy Demsey of the Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus, and members of Refuse Fascism and Rise Up for Abortion Rights CLE.

Organizers said the event was a rally for reproductive and Civil Rights and an effort to continue the fight for choice for women in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, including Black women.

Women's March Cleveland activists Kathy Wray Coleman, Alysa Cooper Moskey, Sierra Mason and Alfred Porter Jr. of Black on Black Crime Inc. organized the event.

Councilwoman Deborah Gray, one of two Black women on council, talked about the importance of having Black women in office and the city's Black Women Commission that she is a part of, and  Ohio State School Board Member Delores Gray discussed anti-education efforts by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and new state legislation that gives him the authority to appoint members to the state School Board, adding that "the governor wants to dismantle public education."

David Brock said Republicans, nationally and otherwise, are hellbent on instituting policies that benefit White men and the nation's wealthy and that people should vote the Democratic ticket up and down relative to the upcoming Nov. 4 general election.

Speaker after speaker took on President Donald Trump, and what they said is an attempt to roll back Civil Rights gains like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, what's left of it since the U.S. Supreme Court began chipping at it when Barack Obama was president.
Other activist groups supporting the event include Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus, Black on Black Crime Inc., Black Man's Army, Black Women's Army, Carl Stokes Brigade, Refuse Fascism, and Rise Up For Abortion Rights CLE.

Women's March Cleveland's next march will not be until the third week in January of 2026, the 8th Anniversary of its first march in 2017.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com are the most-read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio. Tel. 216-659-0473. Email-editor@clevelandurbannews.com.

Last Updated on Saturday, 20 September 2025 21:34

Women's March Cleveland, grassroots activists rally on City Hall steps on Sept. 20, 2025, taking on President Trump and his attack on historical Civil Rights legislation...By Clevelandurbannews.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader

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Above picture: Women's March Cleveland at a march from Market Square Park in Cleveland in 2021. Photo by David Petkiewicz of Cleveland.com.

CLEVELAND, Ohio-Women's March Cleveland and other activist groups rallied for the  "Cleveland, Oh Make Billionaires Pay & Women's Rights Rally & March" from the steps of City Hall in downtown Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. The event was part of a national day of action in cities across the country, commissioned by Women's March National.

The crowd was small, but intimate, bringing out the grassroots sector of the community.

Speakers included Cleveland Councilwoman Deborah Gray, activist and Ohio State School Board Member Delores Gray, Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairperson David Brock, Mayosha Baybach Vales of the Black Women's Army, Cindy Demsey of the Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus, and members of Refuse Fascism and Rise Up for Abortion Rights CLE.

Organizers said the event was a rally for reproductive and Civil Rights and an effort to continue the fight for choice for women in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, including Black women.

Women's March Cleveland activists Kathy Wray Coleman, Alysa Cooper Moskey, Sierra Mason and Alfred Porter Jr. of Black on Black Crime Inc. organized the event.

Councilwoman Deborah Gray, one of two Black women on council, talked about the importance of having Black women in office and the city's Black Women's Commission that she is a part of, and Ohio State School Board Member Delores Gray discussed anti-education efforts by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and new state legislation that gives him the authority to appoint members to the state School Board, adding that "the governor wants to dismantle public education."

David Brock said Republicans, nationally and otherwise, are hellbent on instituting policies that benefit White men and the nation's wealthy and that people should vote the Democratic ticket up and down relative to the upcoming Nov. 4 general election.

Speaker after speaker took on President Donald Trump, and what they said is an attempt to roll back Civil Rights gains like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, what's left of it since the U.S. Supreme Court began chipping at it when Barack Obama was president.

Other activist groups supporting the event include Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus, Black on Black Crime Inc., Black Man's Army, Black Women's Army, Carl Stokes Brigade, Refuse Fascism, and Rise Up For Abortion Rights CLE.

Women's March Cleveland's next march will not be until the third week in January of 2026, the 8th Anniversary of its first march in 2017.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com are the most-read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio. Tel. 216-659-0473. Email-editor@clevelandurbannews.com.

Last Updated on Saturday, 20 September 2025 22:20

Speakers announced for Cleveland's Sept 20, 2025 women's march from City Hall steps titled "Cleveland, Oh Make Billionaires Pay & Fight for Women's Rights Rally and March"...Noon rally, 1pm march...By Clevelandurbannews.com

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Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio-Women's March Cleveland and other activist groups have announced speakers for the  "Cleveland, Oh Make Billionaires Pay & Fight For Women's Rights Rally & March" set for  Sat., Sept. 20, 2025, with a noon rally and 1 pm march from the steps of City Hall in downtown Cleveland. The event is part of a national day of action.

Speakers include elected officials and activists, including Cleveland Councilwoman Deborah Gray, activist and Ohio State School Board Member Delores Gray, Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairperson David Brock, Ohio Black Women's PAC President Elaine Gohlstin, Black Women's Army Head Mayosha Baybach Vales, and Don Bryant of Peace Action.

Organizers say the event is a rally and mass march for reproductive and Civil Rights and an effort to continue the fight for choice for women in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, including Black women.

Women's March Cleveland activists Kathy Wray Coleman, Alysa Cooper Moskey, Sierra Mason and Alfred Porter Jr. of Black on Black Crime Inc. are also helping to organize the event, Coleman said, as well as the Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus, a greater Cleveland group that works to get Democratic women into office.

In addition to reproductive and civil rights, the issues addressed at the rally and march will include the attacks by Washington, D.C. operatives against DEI, immigrants, public and higher education, federal workers, and a host of others, and the actions of D.C. billionaires and policy-makers in subordinating poor people and the underprivileged, organizers said.

Data show that since the attack on DEI and federal workers, the unemployment rate for Blacks in America has increased, and the Black community remains at risk.

Other activist groups supporting the event include Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus, Black on Black Crime Inc., Black Man's Army, Black Women's Army, Carl Stokes Brigade, Refuse Fascism, and Rise Up For Abortion Rights CLE.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com are the most-read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio. Tel. 216-659-0473. Email-editor@clevelandurbannews.com.

Last Updated on Friday, 19 September 2025 14:56

Women's March Cleveland, activists to host noon Sept 20, 2025 March from City Hall steps titled "Cleveland, Oh Make Billionaires Pay & Women's Rights Rally and March"...By Clevelandurbannews.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader

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Above: Women's March Cleveland on Oct. 2, 2021 at a march from Market Square Park in Cleveland that drew some 2,500 people. Photo by David Petkiewicz of Cleveland.com. The next march is Sat, Sept 20 2005. Read more below.
CLEVELAND, Ohio-Women's March Cleveland will host  a "Cleveland, Oh Make Billionaires Pay & Fight For Women's Rights Rally & March" on Sat., Sept 20, 2025 with a noon rally and 1 pm march from the steps of City Hall in downtown Cleveland. The event is part of a national day of action.

Facebook event page link: https://www.facebook.com/event...

Organizers say the event is a rally and mass march for reproductive and Civil Rights and an effort to continue the fight for choice for women in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, including Black women.

"We must keep up the fight for Civil Rights for women and the fight for Black and other women to have a choice to decide what to do with their bodies," said Women's March Cleveland head organizer Kathy Wray Coleman, a seasoned Black Cleveland activist and community organizer who leads Women's March Cleveland.

Women's March Cleveland activists Alysa Cooper Moskey, Sierra Mason and Alfred Porter Jr. of Black on Black Crime Inc. are also helping to organize the event, Coleman said, as wells as the Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus, a group that works to get Democratic women into office.

Speakers for the event are forthcoming.

In addition to reproductive rights, the issues addressed at the rally and march will include the attacks by Washington, D.C. operatives against DEI, immigrants, public and higher education, federal workers, and a host of others, and the actions of D.C. billionaires and policy-makers in subordinating poor people and the underprivileged, organizers said.

Data show that since the attack on DEI and federal workers, the unemployment rate for Blacks in America has increased, and the Black community remains at risk.

"This is deplorable and unacceptable, and the data are real," Coleman said, adding that "we are grassroots activists of Cleveland and we will continue to fight in the trenches on these issues."

Other activist groups supporting the event include Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus, Black on Black Crime Inc., Black Man's Army, Black Women's Army, Carl Stokes Brigade, Refuse Fascism, and Rise Up For Abortion Rights CLE.

Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal nationwide, was reversed by the Supreme Court on June 24, 2022 via its Dobbs decision. It stripped women of federal protection for abortion access and gave states the authority to legislate abortion and reproductive rights.
Abortion in Ohio, however, is legal after Ohio voters, in 2023, passed an Issue 1 referendum to enshrine the constitutional right to abortion in the Ohio Constitution. But activists who pushed for Issue 1 fear a national abortion ban is looming by conservatives and that state measures are underway in Ohio to try to undermine their victory in getting Issue 1 passed. And they have vowed to fight to the end.
"Women cannot afford to sit idly by while our opponents trample on our civil and constitutional rights and slip in a national abortion ban, and we will not go away quietly," Coleman said. "A choice is a terrible thing to lose, whether at the voting box or with respect to a woman's body."
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com are the most-read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio. Tel. 216-659-0473. Email-editor@clevelandurbannews.com.

Last Updated on Thursday, 18 September 2025 02:00

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