Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Longtime Cleveland community activist Khalid Samad has died. He was 73 and died peacefully on Mon., March 16.

Samad began his activism alongside the late activist Omar Ali- Bey. He co-founded Peace in the Hood and A Coalition for a Better Life, groups he utilized to help curb gang and other violence in Cleveland's public schools and on the city streets.

He later served as assistant director to the safety director with the administration of then-mayor Jane Campbell.

Activist Alfred Porter Jr. of Black on Black Crime said Samad was a grassroots activist in the truest sense.

"He was an example of what a man should do to protect the community, and he understood the community," said Porter.

City Council President Blaine Griffin said Samad will be missed and submitted the following statement:

“I am heartbroken to share in the loss of my dear friend and brother, Khalid Samad. Khalid wasn’t just an activist; he was the heartbeat of our neighborhoods and a man who spent every waking hour trying to save our kids from the streets. For decades, I watched him walk into the most difficult situations with nothing but a sense of peace and a deep love for Cleveland. He had a rare way of making people feel seen and heard, whether he was mentoring a young person at a crossroads or advising city leaders on how to make our community whole again."

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