Pictured are National Cleveland NAACP President Cornell William Brooks (in white tie), Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (in purple tie), St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCullough (in blue tie), Fergurson police officer Darren Wilson, and slain Fergurson teen Michael Brown (in blue jacket)

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog Kathy Wray Coleman is  a community activist and 20 year investigative journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

BALTIMORE, Maryland- The national NAACP is outraged at the decision by Missouri Gov Jay Nixon not to appoint a special prosecutor in place of St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCullouch in the case of a Black teen slain two weeks ago in Ferguson, Missouri by police officer Darren Wilson, who witnesses say gunned down Michael Brown, 18, when he was surrendering with his hands up. The case is currently before a county grand jury on whether to charge Wilson, who is White, with crimes relative to the unprecedented shooting.

CLICK HERE TO TWEET YOUR SUPPORT OF THE STANCE BY THE NAACP FOR A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IN THE MICHAEL BROWN CASE

"We cannot let this decision stand ," NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks told Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's leader in Black digital news. "Tweet Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster and asked them why they won't support transparency and justice right away."

Wilson says that Brown allegedly assaulted him.

The incident has unleashed riots in the majority Black city of some 21,000 people, and protests in over 50 cities across the country including in New York, Washington D.C. and Cleveland, Ohio, a largely Black major American city also dealing with the deadly shooting of two unarmed Blacks by 13-non Black police officers slinging 137 bullets.

Wilson is currently on administrative-leave with pay. Protesters want him arrested and prosecuted. Ferguson police, and Wilson's supporters,  who have donated nearly a quarter-of million dollars to a legal defense fund, say the officer acted in self defense.

NAACP officials say that Brown's death by police is symbolic of a climate across America of flagrant police brutality and excessive force against the Black community, and is indicative of an atmosphere of gross impropriety and unjust actions in largely White police departments nationwide, including in majority Black cities like Cleveland and New York.

Brooks said that McCullouch is a county prosecutor who  is pro-police even when police officers exhibit wrongdoing, and that he "has personal, family and professional ties to a local police department [Ferguson] that has repeatedly failed its community."

Only four of Ferguson's 58 police officers are Black, and it shows.

President Obama has called for calm, the National Guard is trying to keep the peace after days of violent protests and clashes with protesters and police in Ferguson, and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who is conducting his own independent investigation, visited the city on Wednesday.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog Kathy Wray Coleman is  a community activist and 20 year investigative journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

Cleveland, Ohio- The Greater Cleveland Committee for Community Empowerment and Educational Progress will hand out school supplies for 100 needy children grades K-6 on a first come-first serve basis during a Black history program on Saturday, August 23 from 2 pm to 7 pm at Pulaski Park in Cleveland Ward 7, 8307 Pulaski Avenue (For directions take Superior Avenue from downtown Cleveland to E. 79th Street, turn left and go two blocks to Pulaski Avenue and Pulaski Park).

For more information call Alethea Thomas at (216) 372-0105.

Tentative speakers include Cleveland Ward 7 Councilman T.J.  Dow and area community activists, organizers said.

"This is the handout school supplies to needy children in our community to let them no we care about education and about them,  and to make them more aware of their culture and ethic history,"Alethea Thomas, a key organizer of the event along with, Erica Robinson.

Supplies include glue stick, paper, pencils, folders and crayons. The Black history program will include African song and dance, motivational speakers and positive rap artists.

Sponsors include the Lake Erie Sharks, the Kitchen Restaurant and Event Center, the Children's Warehouse, the Creamteam, and Left Lane Lifestyle

The free school supplies forums are becoming more popular in Cleveland. The Guardian Angels, a Cleveland west side community group, also gave out free school supplies earlier this month, among other community groups.

Pictured are Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (in grey suit) and Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer (in red shirt)

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief. Coleman is a community activist and 20-year investigative and legal  journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. Reach Cleveland Urban News.Com by email at editor@cleveland urban news.com and by phone at (216) 659-0473

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) /(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

LANDOVER, Maryland- The Cleveland Browns loss to the Washington Redskins Monday night 24-23 at Fed-ex Stadium in Landover, Maryland, the second of four scheduled preseason games of 2014, and where sports media pundits panned Browns quarterbacks Brian Hoyer, who started the game, as well as Johnny Manziel, a Heisman trophy winner and 2014 late- round draft pick.(Editor's Update: Manziel was subsequently fined $12,000 by the NFL for the gesture, and Hoyer was named starting quarterback).

Head coach Mike Pettine rotated Hoyer and Manziel into the game, only to see minimal offensive production in the first half, sports critics said. The production in the second half was mediocre too, though Manziel got a dump off touch down pass to RB Dion Lewis, the first touch down for the Browns of the preseason.

But what caught much attention was Manziel, 21, entended his middle finger to taunting Redskins fans in the third quarter, an action that quickly became the talk of social and other media, and for which Pettine acknowledges was unprofessional and immature.

Manziel told reporters after Monday night's game that he simply made a mistake by flipping the bird to fans of the opposing team.

"I felt like I did a good job of holding my composure throughout the night, and you have a lapse of judgment and slip up," Manziel said.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief. Coleman is a community activist and 20-year investigative and legal  journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. Reach Cleveland Urban News.Com by email at editor@cleveland urban news.com and by phone at (216) 659-0473

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) /(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Community activist James Box (pictured) was sentenced to probation by Common Pleas Judge John Sutula on Monday morning following a plea deal he took in a criminal case involving inappropriate contact with two women. He had originally pleaded not guilty.

Box, 53, was in court with his lawyer Richard Drucker and was sentenced to 90 days of in-house electronic monitoring, 200 hours of community service, a $1500 fine, mental health counseling, and 36 months of supervised probation.

He spoke briefly at sentencing, and showed remorse.

"I'm sorry," Box told the court before apologizing to the two women victims, both also in court.

He also apologized to his supporters.

A Cuyahoga County Grand Jury in March indicted Box on several charges, including attempted rape of the two women, kidnapping, attempted sexual battery, gross sexual imposition and soliciting one of the two women, both participants in a now defunct Cleveland Municipal Court diversion program run by NFL football great and former Cleveland Browns football player Jim Brown, who was his supervisor. He took a plea deal last month where the prosecution dropped all sex related charges and left attempted abduction and misdemeanor assault and unlawful restraint. He initially faced up to life in prison but, per the plea deal, faced probation and up to 18 months in prison.

Among those that spoke in support of the longtime community activist were Reggie Rucker, Cleveland Ward 10 Councilman Jeff Johnson, Cleveland City Community Relations Liaison Yvonne Pointer, who is also a woman's advocate, and the Rev C.J. Matthews, pastor of Mount Sinai Baptist Church in Cleveland.