EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio-About 150 people gathered for a "Trayvon Martin Skittles Rally" on Sat., March 24 at Black on Black Crime Headquarters in East Cleveland, Oh. led by Ernie Smith and Patricia Rowell of the Oppressed People's Nation in cooperation with a host of other Cleveland area activist groups such as the Imperial Women Coalition, the Cleveland Chapter of the New Black Panther Party, the Carl Stokes Brigade, the Cleveland African American Museum and Occupy Cleveland. (Editors note: Watch the videos below of the rally with speeches by Smith and other community activists such as Art McKoy and Imperial Women Leader Kathy Wray Coleman)
Media such as news channels 3 and 8 were there as well as a cadre of young people and some other seasoned community activists like Cleveland NAACP President Dr. Eugene Jordon, former Plain Dealer Reporter Richard Peery, Ada Averyhart, Laura Cowan, Susan Schnur, Genevieve Mitchell, Bill Swain, Priscilla Cooper, Valerie and Stewart Robinson, Leatrice Tolls, Denise Taylor, Brett Jackson, Marva and David Patterson, Frances Caldwell and Debi Brown.
Seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin was gunned down in Sanford Fl. last month by a neighborhood watchman, whom police have not charged because he is White and Travon was Black, Civil Rights activists such as the Rev Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and National NAACP President Ben Zealous have said.
The murder of the unarmed teen has increased racial tensions nationwide and sparked protests with calls for Zimmerman to be charged, arrested and forced to trial before a duly impaneled jury of his peers.
Video Clip below of March 25, 2012 "Trayvon Martin Skittles Rally" in East Cleveland led by Ernest Smith of the Oppressed People's Nation
Video clip below of Imperial Women Leader Kathy Wray Coleman speaking out against the malicious prosecutions, illegal jailing and unconstitutional killings of Black men, boys, women and girls in Cleveland, Florida and across the United States of America on March 24, 2012 at the "Trayvon Martin Skittles Rally" in East Cleveland
Reach Journalist Kathy Wray Coleman at www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, ktcoleman8@aol.com and phone number: 216-932-3114.
