Clevelandurbannews.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader

WASHINGTON, D.C-President Barack Obama will officially kick off his reelection campaign with First Lady Michelle Obama by his side at a public rally on Sat. morning May 5 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Oh., his campaign team told Cleveland Urban News.Com in a conference call with reporters Weds. evening.

The Democratic president will then go to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA that same day for an afternoon rally.

And Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is campaigning Ohio today, touring the state with Gov. John Kacish, also a Republican.

Asked by Cleveland Urban News.Com if the Obama campaign is threatened in anyway with the prospect that U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a former congressman and budget director for the Bush administration,  will be Romney's vice presidential running mate on the Republican ticket, the president's campaign said that "the contest is about the two men at the top of the ticket and their competing philosophies."

CLEVELAND, Ohio-The Imperial Women, a majority female grassroots group founded around the unprecedented murders of 11 Black women by since convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell (pictured) on Imperial Ave. in Cleveland, Oh., are voicing opposition to efforts by City of Cleveland officials to change the name of the street where the women were raped, strangled and murdered, asking if all streets of Cleveland where women were raped, strangled and murdered partly because of malfeasance by city officials and police will be changed to different names, and why Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson chose two Black male prominent area ministers to lead the project.

CLEVELAND, Ohio-The Carl Stokes Brigade will hold its 16th Annual Grave Site Commemoration services for the late Carl B. Stokes (pictured), the first Black mayor of a major metropolitan city, on Sun. April 22 from 3:00-5:00 pm at  Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, 12316 Euclid Ave.

The event is free and open to the public, and the contact for the ceremony is Marva Patterson at 216-334-7013.

Led by David Patterson with other long term affiliates such as former Brigade president and prior Cleveland School Board Member Genevieve Mitchell, Bert Jennings, Donnie Pastard, Terri Tolefree, George Edwards and opera singer Clarence Marshall, the Brigade is a grassroots entity that says its mission is to fight for the little people of Cuyahoga County and elsewhere, and for changes in public policy for the betterment of the greater Cleveland community.

Grassroots spokesperson Judy Martin has announced two community rallies on tomorrow, Sat April 21.

For more information contact Martin at 216-990-0679

The first rally and march is sponsored by the Oppressed People's Nation, Black on Black Crime and the East Cleveland Police Department under the theme of stop the violence and begins at East Cleveland City Hall, 14340 Euclid Ave., at 11:00 am. It will end at Shaw High School with a performance by the Shaw High School Marching Band.

The second rally is for missing Cleveland west side teen Amanda Berry (pictured) and will be held  at the corner of 110th St and Lorain Ave in Cleveland. It is sponsored by Berry's family,  Survivors/Victims of Tragedy  in cooperation with a host of other grassroots factions concerned about missing children across the city regardless of race, ethnicity or gender.