By Field Reporter Gwendolyn Pitts and Editor-in-Chief Kathy Wray Coleman of Cleveland Urban News. Com and the Kathy Wray Coleman Online News Blog.Com, Ohio's most read online Black Newspaper and digital Black newspaper blog. Tel: 216-659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com).
A 23-year reporter who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio, Coleman interviewed now 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
CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM-CLEVELAND, Ohio – Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (pictured) spoke at the prominent Olivet Institutional Baptist Church on Cleveland's largely Black east side Saturday evening, a week after the group sponsoring the event, the Community Coalition Concerned for Black Life, entertained Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, also at Olivet.
About 800 people were in attendance
The gathering comes just three days before Ohio's March 15 primary and follows a Clinton campaign rally held Tuesday night at Cuyahoga County Community College in Cleveland.
Both Clinton and Sanders, rivals for the Democratic nomination for president, hope to woo voters in Ohio's delegate -rich and largely Black 11th congressional district, which is led by Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge, a Warrensville Heights Democrat who supports Clinton.
Introduced by Cleveland NAACP President Michael Nelson Sr., Clinton spoke on a variety of issues affecting the Black community, including 12-year-old Tamir Rice, whom Cleveland police gunned down in November 2014 at a public park and recreation center on the city's majority White west side.
The former first lady and Democratic presidential front-runner said that racism is alive and well in America, and she told the supportive Black audience that Black lives do, in fact, matter.
"He should be alive today," said Clinton of Rice. "He should be healthy and happy."
Clinton was joined at Olivet, which is led by senior pastor the Rev. Dr. Jawanza Colvin, by select mothers of Blacks killed by police, or gun violence in general. They include Sybrina Fulton, the mother of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, Geneva Reed-Veal, whose daughter Sandra Bland was found hanged in a jail cell near Houston, and Gwen Carter, the mother of Eric Garner of New York.
Greater Cleveland elected officials at the rally include Cleveland councilpersons Mamie Mitchell and Zack Reed , and state Rep Stephanie Howse (D-11), a Cleveland Democrat.
"She will do a good job," said Councilwoman Mitchell of Clinton.
State Rep. Howse, 36, agreed and told Cleveland Urban News.Com that Clinton "is the most qualified to be president."
During her half hour long speech, Clinton promised jobs, criminal justice reforms and host of other public policy issues, and she pledged more federal money for the nation's historically Black colleges and universities.
She promoted President Obama and his policies, and called Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump a troublemaker perpetuating violence with his divisive rhetoric.
Trump, said Clinton, is nothing but "a bully."
Gwendolyn Rogers said that she has attended rallies in Cleveland in support of Clinton because Clinton has earned the support of the Black community, in her opinion.
"We have been with Hillary Clinton way before Obama and we love her as somebody we can trust," said Rogers.
Tel: 216-659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com).