Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

CLEVELAND, OHIO-Led by Women's March Cleveland, more than  1,500 women and community activists took to the streets in mass on Sat., March 8, 2025 to march on International Women's Day as part of a national day of action. It was the eighth anniversary of Cleveland's first International Women's Day march in 2017.

Organizers said some 1,500 to 2,000 people were in attendance, also including male supporters, Blacks, Whites, and others alike.

The event, dubbed the Unite and Resist in Cleveland march, began at Market Square Park near downtown Cleveland with a rally and speeches, followed by a 30-minute march before marchers returned to Market Square. Cleveland's march was a sister march to marches held in cities nationwide and one of the largest in the Midwest.

Organizers said that while women's rights remain paramount, the main premise of Cleveland's march, and marches countrywide, was standing against the divisive, illegal, and unconstitutional policies of President Donald Trump and his administration.

Cleveland's mainstream media swarmed the event, including Cleveland. com and the Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest newspaper, WKYC Channel 3 News, and WOIO 19 News. And the Plain Dealer covered the event in it's Sun., March 9 print edition.

Event organizers were Women's March Cleveland head organizer Kathy Wray Coleman, Alysa Cooper Moskey, Sierra Mason, and Alfred Porter Jr. of Black on Black Crime Inc. and the Black Man's Army.

"Wow," said Women's March Cleveland head organizer Kathy Wray Coleman in responding after the success of the event. "This was, no doubt, a coming together of the community in rare form, and we thank everybody who helped to make our march a success. And it ain't over."

Speakers included Ohio Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Cleveland Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones, activists Al Porter, Don Bryant, Tanisha Glass, Heather Hall, and Lee Thompson, and advocates for women's rights, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ rights.

Rep. Brown gave a rousing speech and told the crowd that she had just returned home from "dysfunctional D.C." She referred to President Trump as "the maniac from Mar-a-Lago," and she said that she will continue to fight for her constituents with the aid of the community, no matter how long it takes.

" I'm tired yall," the congresswoman said to applause from protesters, before citing a litany of things she says Trump has done to hurt Americans and constituents of her 11th congressional district, from targeting SNAP benefits and federal workers, to increasing inflation, creating undue chaos, and attempting to roll back Civil Rights gains.

Councilman Jones also fired up the crowd with chants, and said that Trump's actions represent the "undoing of America." He complimented the marchers for their tenacity and commitment to the cause, and said activism can start as early as childhood.

"We have been picketing since we were kids," he said.

Organizers said the march was the largest women's march in Cleveland since Oct. 2, 2021 when nearly 2,500 people gathered with Women's March Cleveland at Market Square to protest for abortion rights and reproductive freedoms, Civil Rights, immigrant rights, and worker's rights, and against what later became the June 24, 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Saturday's march also followed a Market Square protest held by Women's March Cleveland on Nov. 2, days before the Nov. 5 general election for president, and a women's march held there on Jan 18, the weekend before President Donald Trump's Jan. 20 Capitol Hill inauguration. The marches on Nov. 2 and Jan. 18 were also part of a national day of action.

Coleman said community activists and women's rights advocates of greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio will remain resilient and vigilant in their consistent fight for justice and are ready for the long haul.

"This is a movement, not a moment," she said."And community activists will continue to fight in the trenches as grassroots activists until justice prevails."

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

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor, associate publisher

WASHINGTON, D.C.- President Donald Trump addressed a joint chamber of Congress Tuesday night amid ongoing fallout between Republicans and Democrats since he took the oath of office in January for a second, non-consecutive term.

In addition to members of Congress, those there included First Lady Melania Trump, some U.S. Supreme Court members, including the three conservative justices Trump appointed during his first term to ensure that Roe. v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, and Trump's cabinet members.

The guests of Democrats were also in attendance, some to send the message that they too are victims of Trump's aggressive and irresponsible policies that are dividing America.

The Republican president appeared relaxed and opened his 99 min. speech by saying "America is back," as Republicans chanted "USA," "USA." But as he continued, angry Democrats began chanting and shouting, prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson to direct the Sgt.at arms to "restore order." Some Democratic affiliates, mainly non-congressional types, were then escorted out of the chamber, and a few Congressional Democrats walked out of the chamber in disgust.

He bragged that he had frozen federal hiring, eliminated foreign aid, and withdrawn from the Civil and Human Rights Council.

When he began listing what he says have been his accomplishments during his first term in office from 2017-2021  and since he officially became president again this year,  Democrats held up small, fan-type protest signs that read "false."

The president said there are only two genders, male and female, and promised to keep men and transsexual men out of women's sports. He said he would "drill baby drill" for U.S. minerals and said one of his greatest priorities is taming the economy and reducing inflation. He branded former President Joe Biden the worst president ever and blamed him for what he said is a border crisis and inflation problems. He made negative comments about Democrats for most of the evening, an indication, said sources, that he has no intention of mending fences with them.

The president recognized billionaire Elon Musk and complimented him on his handling of DOGE, the president's Department of Government Efficiency that Democrats blame for the massive firings of federal workers and the withdrawal of foreign aid, primarily to countries of color. He said DOGE has found billions of dollars wasted by the Biden administration, and one audience member screamed that he was a liar, a sentiment also expressed by most Congressional Democrats who are in the minority in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

Despite taunting that went on continually during the first part of his speech, Trump did not lose his cool and said he would restore true Democracy from America again, and that the days of Democratic bureaucracies were over.

Trump used the family of murder victim Laken Riley and other families whose loved ones were killed by immigrants to bring home his point that immigrants are criminals who pose a threat to the United States, an action that represents the height of bigotry, his Democratic enemies say.

The president promised to help American cities struggling with heightened crime and to wage war on drug cartels. He called for Mexico and Canada to stop the massive flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

Trump, 78, said he would execute the largest deportation of immigrants in American history. He also talked about child cancer while simultaneously recognizing new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

He promised more tariffs, and to stop the Russia-Ukraine war, and he lauded praise on select young people there, Blacks, Whites and Asians alike, whom he asked to stand and be recognized.

Some of the president's speech was laced with lies, pundits said afterwards, including what he would do in the future to improve America, and that cuts thus far have brought in billions.

While the president's speech, which included a litany of policies he seeks during his second term in office, was not a State of the Union since he has been in office for only 42 days, it often sounded like one.

Kathy Wray Coleman is a longtime Cleveland journalist, blogger and digital and investigative reporter, who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper, a Black print weekly distributed in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio.

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

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor, associate publisher

WASHINGTON, D.C.- President Donald Trump addressed a joint chamber of Congress Tuesday night amid ongoing fallout between Republicans and Democrats since he took the oath of office in January for a second, non-consecutive term.

In addition to members of Congress, those there included First Lady Melania Trump, some U.S. Supreme Court members, including the three conservative justices Trump appointed during his first term to ensure that Roe. v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, and Trump's cabinet members.

The guests of Democrats were also in attendance, some to send the message that they too are victims of Trump's aggressive and irresponsible policies that are dividing America.

The Republican president appeared relaxed and opened his 99 min. speech by saying "America is back," as Republicans chanted "USA," "USA." But as he continued, angry Democrats began chanting and shouting, prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson to direct the Sgt.at arms to "restore order." Some Democratic affiliates, mainly non-congressional types, were then escorted out of the chamber, and a few Congressional Democrats walked out of the chamber in disgust.

He bragged that he had frozen federal hiring, eliminated foreign aid, and withdrawn from the Civil and Human Rights Council.

When he began listing what he says have been his accomplishments during his first term in office from 2017-2021  and since he officially became president again this year,  Democrats held up small, fan-type protest signs that read "false."

The president said there are only two genders, male and female, and promised to keep men and transsexual men out of women's sports. He said he would "drill baby drill" for U.S. minerals and said one of his greatest priorities is taming the economy and reducing inflation. He branded former President Joe Biden the worst president ever and blamed him for what he said is a border crisis and inflation problems. He made negative comments about Democrats for most of the evening, an indication, said sources, that he has no intention of mending fences with them.

The president recognized billionaire Elon Musk and complimented him on his handling of DOGE, the president's Department of Government Efficiency that Democrats blame for the massive firings of federal workers and the withdrawal of foreign aid, primarily to countries of color. He said DOGE has found billions of dollars wasted by the Biden administration, and one audience member screamed that he was a liar, a sentiment also expressed by most Congressional Democrats who are in the minority in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

Despite taunting that went on continually during the first part of his speech, Trump did not lose his cool and said he would restore true Democracy from America again, and that the days of Democratic bureaucracies were over.

Trump used the family of murder victim Laken Riley and other families whose loved ones were killed by immigrants to bring home his point that immigrants are criminals who pose a threat to the United States, an action that represents the height of bigotry, his Democratic enemies say.

The president promised to help American cities struggling with heightened crime and to wage war on drug cartels. He called for Mexico and Canada to stop the massive flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

Trump, 78, said he would execute the largest deportation of immigrants in American history. He also talked about child cancer while simultaneously recognizing new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

He promised more tariffs, and to stop the Russia-Ukraine war, and he lauded praise on select young people there, Blacks, Whites and Asians alike, whom he asked to stand and be recognized.

Some of the president's speech was laced with lies, pundits said afterwards, including what he would do in the future to improve America, and that cuts thus far have brought in billions.

While the president's speech, which included a litany of policies he seeks during his second term in office, was not a State of the Union since he has been in office for only 42 days, it often sounded like one.

Kathy Wray Coleman is a longtime Cleveland journalist, blogger and digital and investigative reporter, who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper, a Black print weekly distributed in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio.

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

U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (pictured), an Akron Democrat, Reintroduces Anti-Electronic Stalking Legislation

Bipartisan Legislation is Modeled after an Ohio Law that passed under a bill Rep. Sykes Introduced in the Ohio legislature when she was a state lawmaker

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor, associate publisher

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Reps Emilia Sykes (OH-13), an Akron Democrat, and Mike Carey (OH-15), a Columbus Republican, reintroduced the Stop Electronic Stalking Act, which would prohibit the use of personal tracking devices to track people without their consent. Rep. Sykes introduced similar legislation in the Ohio legislature when she was a state lawmaker. It was recently signed into law by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican whose second four-year-term is nearing an end.

The proposed bipartisan congressional legislation comes as Women's History Month, which begins on March 1, 2025, nears.

"Geotracking devices are meant to be used to locate and keep track of property like luggage or keys, but when I served in the Ohio House of Representatives, a constituent from Akron made me aware that anyone could use this technology to secretly track or stalk people," said Rep. Sykes, a state lawmaker-turned Congresswoman who represents Ohio's 13th congressional district and one of three Black women in Congress from Ohio. "No one should have to live in fear of being electronically tracked without their consent, which is why I'm introducing this bill to protect all Americans through federal legislation."

Rep. Carey said he is pleased to join Rep. Sykes in seeking bipartisan congressional legislation to help protect women and other Americans from stalking.

"Innovative products like personal tracking devices are helpful to locate belongings when they have been stolen or misplaced. Unfortunately, they can also be used by bad actors to track, stalk, and harass unknown people," said Rep. Carey. "I am proud to co-lead the Stop Electronic Stalking Act alongside Rep. Sykes to ensure this violating form of stalking is illegal nationwide and protect all Americans from being tracked without their consent."

"Alliance for Safety and Justice supports policies that expand access to safety to victims of crime and prevent crises from becoming a crime. We offer our support of the Stop Electronic Stalking Act, which will help ensure that victims of stalking have more support in protecting themselves from harm," said Shakyra Diaz, chief of shared safety for the Alliance for Safety and Justice.

"Research shows that domestic violence homicides increase during the period of separation when an abuser is losing control. Legislation like the Stop Electronic Stalking Act helps protect survivors from being tracked during this critical time, saving lives and allowing abusers to be prosecuted if tracking devices are used, ultimately taking away that control," said Julie Donant, CEO of Domestic Violence Project, Inc. in Canton, Oh.

Though personal tracking devices like Apple AirTag and Tile are intended to track property, crimes have been reported across the country involving the use of these devices to stalk victims, specifically women being stalked by former spouses or relationship partners. The current federal stalking law does not explicitly ban unwanted location tracking using an electronic device.

That's why, in 2023 Rep. Sykes initially introduced the Stop Electronic Stalking Act, which, if passed by Congress as a reintroduced bill during this 118th Congress, would prohibit the use of personal tracking devices to track people without their consent. This legislation would amend the federal criminal code's definition of stalking to codify that the unauthorized tracking of an individual by a GPS device qualifies as stalking to prevent victimization and penalize bad actors who use these devices for nefarious purposes.

Rep. Sykes first became aware of this issue while serving in the Ohio House of Representatives after a constituent from Akron, a city some 35 miles south of Cleveland, and an investigation from WKYC Cleveland 3 brought it to her attention. This constituent's former partner put a personal tracking device on her car and tracked her location for several months without her knowledge.

Eventually, and with the help of the Akron Police Department, the constituent was able to locate and remove the tracking device but was surprised to learn that tracking someone electronically without their consent was not illegal under Ohio law. Rep. Sykes, then a state lawmaker, subsequently introduced Ohio H.B. 672, which is now a state law that prohibits a person from knowingly installing a tracking device or tracking application on another person's property without the other person's consent.

Now the congresswoman is pushing for her nationwide anti-stalking bill to be approved by Congress, and in due time, although Congressional Democrats and Republicans collectively remain at odds under the leadership of President Donald Trump, who took the oath of office in January for a second, non-consecutive term.

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