Best Wishes for 2019!

Read this week's issue of The Real Deal Press.

"Round up the usual suspects." 
            -- Captain Louis Renault, "Casablanca" [1942]

Read about it here in this week's issue of The Real Deal Press. 

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Read The Real Deal Press every week for reporting on the interplay of race, class and power in the civic, business and cultural spaces of Northeast Ohio and beyond.

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Deplorable county jail conditions starting to come to light

"If there is a presumption of innocence, what we are doing to the most vulnerable of us is criminal." — Attorney James L. Hardiman

Activists and citizens are beginning to come together amidst revelations about conditions in Cuyahoga County. Read about it here in this week's issue of The Real Deal Press. 

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Read The Real Deal Press every Sunday for reporting on the interplay of race, class and power in the civic, business and cultural spaces of Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Free showing of Sandra Bland documentary in Shaker Heights tonight

Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old African-American woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on July 13, 2015, three days after being arrested during a traffic stop. Her death was ruled a suicide. 

Bland was pulled over for a traffic violation on July 10 by State Trooper Brian Encinia. The exchange escalated, resulting in Bland's arrest and charge for assaulting a police officer. The arrest was partially recorded by Encinia's dashcam and by a bystander's cell phone. After authorities reviewed the dashcam footage, Encinia was placed on administrative leave for failing to follow proper traffic stop procedures.

Texas authorities and the FBI conducted an investigation into Bland's death and determined the Waller County jail did not follow required policies, including time checks on inmates and ensuring that employees had completed required mental health training.

In December 2015, a grand jury declined to indict the county sheriff and jail staff for a felony relating to Bland's death. In January 2016, Encinia was indicted for perjury for making false statements about the circumstances surrounding Bland's arrest and he was subsequently fired by the Texas Department of Public Safety. In September 2016, Bland's mother settled a wrongful death lawsuit against the county jail and police department for $1.9 million and some procedural changes. In June 2017, the perjury charge against Encinia was dropped in return for his agreement to permanently end his law enforcement career. SOURCE.

Repetitive "Disgraced ex-judge" characterization is troubling

I am wrestling with the fact that The Plain Dealer has apparently renamed former judge Lance Mason as the “disgraced former judge”.

I offer no defense for Mason, who is properly being held on $5 million bail, charged with the murder of his estranged wife in brutal fashion, four years after he viciously assaulted her in almost incomprehensible anger in front of their children.

Following that first assault, Mason fell from grace: he pleaded guilty to assault, was sentenced to prison for two years, resigned his judgeship, and lost his law license.

It was a sudden and complete fall from grace. In 2014. What he's accused of doing last month stands alone in its depravity, evidence of a frightening but unfortunately not rare state of mind. I suspect it has little if anything to do with any job or honor Mason ever had.

So, what’s my issue? I have an uncomfortable sense that Mason’s status as a black man may have subconsciously factored into editorial coverage decisions.

Headline, caption, and first sentence each refer to Mason as disgraced. 

I do not recall that former county commissioner and Democratic Party chair Jimmy Dimora was so regularly characterized, although he fell from the county’s top electoral spot in the county for his participation in ongoing public corruption schemes. Likewise for former county treasurer Frank Russo, former judge Bridget McCafferty, and a host of other once-respected public servants turned intentional malfeasants.

Is this over-sensitivity or hyper-vigilance on my part? Some may certainly think so. But when the term "disgraced" is pounded relentlessly via headline, photo caption and lead sentence, it seems more than mere click bait, reportorial laziness or editorial indifference.

Words have power. When repetitively combined with images of a black man in an orange jumpsuit in this highly politicized environment, it seems that intentionally or otherwise, a subliminal message is being sent.

I welcome your comments.

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Read The Real Deal Press every week for reporting on the interplay of race, class and power in the civic, business and cultural spaces of Northeast Ohio and beyond.

"Think of Justice as a Value, not a system"

The actor Michael K. Williams was in Cleveland this past week. He visited the County Detention Center and spoke at Cleveland State University's Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Shared below is an account of that day written by Dean of the Law School and circulated via his Monday Morning Messages.

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"I want you all to imagine what it was like for me to talk to an 11-year-old dark-skinned boy by the name of Michael, with a scar on his face, who knew to take his pain and suffering of his long eleven years of living - and use it to be a blessing in someone else's life. That broke me down....  It struck a fire in my gut.  And that fire was called:  never again." – Michael K. Williams Actor, Producer, “Raised in the System.”

"When I had difficult times in prison ….where I was housed with 2200 men for every crime you could probably think of …. I said to myself that I want to be a light in this dark place. I understood that I couldn't get over this, I couldn't get under it, I had to go through it." – Dominic Dupont, whose 25 year-to-life sentence was commuted by Governor Andrew Cuomo

"A long time my kids asked me, ‘How can you believe in the criminal justice system that did that to you?’  I said, ‘it wasn't the criminal justice system, it was individuals.... If I didn't believe in the criminal justice system, I wouldn't be able to help people get out of prison who don't belong there’." – Derrick Hamilton, exonerated after 20 years in prison

"I'm asking all of you in this room - be it judges, or prosecutors, or defense attorneys, legal aid society, or service providers - to think of justice as a value and not as a system."  - Dana Rachlin, Founder, NYC Together

"We, as judges, those of us involved in the criminal justice system, we've got to get off the bench. I have a hashtag that I use and I call it #beyondthefourwalls. And so I come off the bench, I come out of my robe, I go into the schools." – Judge Michael Ryan ‘96

“I feel indebted to C|M|LAW and the alumni community for giving me a chance to join this profession, for giving me the skills and the support to do the work I care about, and for joining me in my mission. I look forward to carrying these efforts upward and onward with you!”  -Kim Corral ‘12

We are a law school without walls. Every week throughout the year, we foster a culture where our students learn not only in the classroom but also through forums that inspire honest engagement and respectful discourse and dialogue on society’s most challenging legal issues.

Thanks to the impressive efforts of Kim Corral '12, on Thursday, November 29, the C|M|LAW Alumni Association, led by Judge Michelle Paris ’84, partnered with our C|M|LAW Criminal Justice Center and the ACLU of Ohio to bring HBO star Michael K. Williams (The Wire/ Boardwalk Empire) for a packed day of social justice programing. See Cleveland-Marshall Alumni Association Hosts Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion.

The day started when Williams screened his documentary, Raised in the System, with a small group of boys age 9-17 at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center. See HBO Star Visits Cuyahoga Juvenile Detention Center. Joining Williams were Derrick Hamilton and Dominic Dupont. Hamilton was exonerated in 2015 after serving over 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. Dupont, Director of the Youth Assistance Program, was recently released from prison after serving 20 years of a 25-to-life sentence. His sentence was commuted by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in recognition of his leadership in anti-violence programs for youth.

Each of these men gave a heartfelt talk to the boys about their own experiences. The response by the young boys was remarkable; they responded by talking about the pain they have experienced throughout their lives. It was a revealing and compelling experience.

On his way to the law school, Michael Williams met with CSU President Harlan Sands. At noon, Williams, Hamilton, and Dupont, joined by Victor Seltzer and Dana Rachlin, spoke to a group of our students about police reform and community development. Seltzer is the CEO of Making Kids Win. Rachlin is the founder of NYC Together.

In the afternoon, the Moot Courtroom was packed for a screening of Michael K. William’s Raised in the System HBO Documentary. After the screening, Kim Corral '12 introduced Williams. Together they announced the creation of the C|M|LAW Alumni Association Live Justice Scholarship which will go to a first year C|M|LAW student who has demonstrated a strong commitment to social justice. Over $19,000 was raised for the new scholarship in just one day, including a contribution from Michael K. Williams.

Professor Jonathan Witmer-Rich then moderated an inspiring panel discussion with Williams, Seltzer, Hamilton, Dupont, and Rachlin. All of the panelists volunteered their time, woke up at 4 a.m. to fly to Cleveland, and spent a full ten hour day inspiring, educating, and challenging their audiences to engage in the important, collaborative work of justice reform. See Photos from C|MLAW Event with Michael K. Williams.

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THE REAL DEAL PRESS is now ​a digital weekly​,​reporting on the interplay of race, class and power in the civic, business and cultural spaces of Northeast Ohio and beyond.​

Read the current issue.

Injustice lives in our Justice System

Tune in today for an informed discussion on America's system of cash bail.

The Power of ONE Vote

There are numerous examples of the importance of every single vote. We like this reminder, courtesy of today's Monday Morning Message, a weekly missive from Lee Fisher, Dean of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.

Fisher was elected Ohio Attorney General in 1990 in the closest statewide election in Ohio history. The margin is easy to remember, 1,234 votes out of 3.4 million votes cast. That was less than one vote per precinct, earning him the dubious moniker of "Landslide Lee".

If you haven't voted early, vote tomorrow. If you don't care to vote for yourself, vote for someone you love, whose freedom, finances, education, health, or security depends on the outcome. Be her hero.

And make sure you vote all the way to the end of the ballot. Some of the most important races are there. If you haven't researched all the contests and issues, check our our endorsements in the current  issue of  The Real Deal Press. You can even access it on your smart phone or tablet inside the voting booth, so there is no reason to skip a race because you don't have a clue.

Big News from The Real Deal Press!

The Real Deal Press that you knew as a print monthly is now a digital only weekly! Check out the premiere edition here and see our endorsement for Cuyahoga County Executive.

Our 2018 Election Special Issue will be out this weekend. Visit here on Friday for the link or sign up here with your mobile number to receive notice of publication instantly.

Weekly Wednesday publication begins November 7, 2018!

LeBron James: More than an Athlete. InDeed!

Walking the walk:

pic.twitter.com/aZGthMCEBv

Glenville: Bullets and Artists

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CORRECTION: today’s event @ MLK LIBRARY IS NOON-4:30pm. 

THEN and NOW: Glenville at the hub

Two nights ago, at that place of joyful gathering known as Karamu House, the only white person in a room full of mostly elderly but extraordinarily alert African Americans, spoke an obvious but too little appreciated truth when he said, “Black History is American history.”

Nine days from now will be the 50th anniversary of one of the most epic days in the history of a neighborhood, a community, and a city. As darkness enveloped a few tightly woven streets on the outskirts of Cleveland’s sprawling yet overcrowded Glenville neighborhood, a small but heavily armed band of black men and boys opened fire upon several unsuspecting isolated white policemen on nighttime patrol.

What happened next has perhaps never been told as grippingly in minute by minute detail as in Ballots and Bullets, a book published only days ago. While our review will be published here tomorrow, may it suffice to say now that the Glenville shootout still reverberates today, from Lake Erie to Kinsman, from the East Cleveland schoolyard to Cudell Recreation Center to West Park. Beyond its tragic human toll, it trumpeted the end of the Honeymoon of Carl Stokes administration’s honeymoon, the death of Cleveland NOW, and gave birth to the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association.[1]

Today and tomorrow, several generations of activists will share memories and perspectives of what some describe as the Glenville Uprising. Presenters will represent many disciplines and perspectives. Among them will be Dr. Raymond Winbush, Don and Norma Freeman, Mississippi Charles Bevel, Joan Southgate, Khalid Samad, Sherrie Tolliver, Christin Farmer, and many more.

Today’s program runs from noon until 4:30pm at the Martin Luther King Jr. branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 1962 Stokes Blvd. tomorrow’s event will occur from 2pm-5pm in Case Western University’s Harkness Chapel, 11200 Bellflower Rd.

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Glenville will perhaps be undergoing a uniquely double collective Sankofa moment this weekend. Even as people address what happened fifty years ago in a spirit of “Where do we Go from here — Community or Chaos?”, another event will be taking place within walking distance of MLK Library and Harkness Chapel, celebrating what some interpret as harbinger of a New Glenville.

Today is the inaugural edition of “FRONT, An American City”, which is comprised of artist commissions, films, and public performances. FRONT will showcase the work of local, national and international artists from today through September 30, radiating out from a hub on East 105 Street just north of Wade Park Avenue to collaborating museums, civic institutions and public spaces throughout Northeast Ohio.

Details can be found here and here.

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[1] The 2012 murderous 137-bullet rampage by Cleveland police officers that took the lives of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams ended on an East Cleveland public school playground. The November 2014 killing of Tamir Rice occurred on the playground of Cudell Rec Center. Carl Stokes’ plan to rebuild Cleveland through the multi-million dollar Cleveland NOW program went up in flames the instant it was discovered that a small portion of NOW proceeds had been misdirected towards the purchase of weapons used in the shootout. The CPPA was born in the wake of Stokes’ decision to withdraw white policemen from patrolling Glenville in the immediate aftermath of the Glenville shooting until the area had been pacified, owing to Stokes’ concern, supported by evidence, that some police officers were bent on exacting revenge for the murder of three of their colleagues.  

Cleveland Black History spotlighted today thru Saturday

Nation's Largest African American Video Oral History Archive Honors Cleveland Area HistoryMakers

Cleveland will play host and homage over the next three days to a set of highly accomplished Cleveland citizens, as part of The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive. The celebration and recognition begin tonight with a reception at Karamu, with more than one hundred guests expected, including area business, civic and community leaders.

Those honored include living legends architects Robert Madison and James Whitley and William Whitley; physicist Julian Earls, aerospace engineer Woodrow Whitlow Jr., Albert Antoine, and Ralph Gardner-Chavis; astronaut Guion Bluford; and foundation executives Steven A. Minter and Margot Copeland.

Others to be honored include clergymen Joseph Evans, Otis Moss, Jr. and E. T. Caviness; civic activists Leatrice Madison and Paul Hill Jr.; and educators June Sallee Antoine and Anthony Jackson.

The arts community is well represented by a host of performers, artists, musicians, and educators, and gallery owners, including A. Grace Lee Mims, Jeffrey Mumford, Leslie Adams, Dianne McIntyre, Marjorie Witt Johnson, Wendell Logan, Johnny Coleman, Louise Hope, Donald White, Robert Lockwood Jr., Wadsworth A. Jarrell Sr., Ed Parker, Ernestine Brown, and Malcolm Brown.

Also recognized will be members of the legal and business communities, including C. Ellen Connally, Lillian Burke, Stanley Tolliver, Marcella Boyd Cox and Dominic Ozanne; and television journalists Leon Bibb, Harry Boomer, and Russ Mitchell.

Rounding out the list are the unique Dorothy McIntyre, a pioneering air pilot, and the renowned motivational speaker George Fraser.

Case Western Reserve University will license The HistoryMakers Digital Archive making it available for faculty and student classroom instruction and research. In doing so, Case Western joins forty other universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, Emory, Northwestern, Ohio State and three public libraries and one private school.

During its three-day visit, The HistoryMakers will seek partnerships with other local civic, educational and cultural institutions.

The HistoryMakers, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is dedicated to recording and preserving the personal histories of well-known and unsung African-Americans.   It is the largest video oral history archive of its kind, and the only massive attempt, since the WPA Slave Narratives of the 1930s, to record the African American experience by the first voice. In 2014, the Library of Congress became its permanent repository. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden has said, “The HistoryMakers archive provides invaluable first-person accounts of both well-known and unsung African-Americans, detailing their hopes, dreams and accomplishments—often in the face of adversity, this culturally important collection is a rich and diverse resource for scholars, teachers, students and documentarians seeking a more complete record of our nation’s history and its people.”

The HistoryMakers Collection now numbers over 10,000 hours (3100 interviews) of first person testimony recorded in over 200 cities and towns including international locations like Norway, the Caribbean and Mexico. The earliest memory in the collection dates to the 1700s.

The HistoryMakers wants to help elevate the black experience in Cleveland as well as ensure that Cleveland’s African American history is properly represented in this internationally significant Collection. To do so, more prominent African American Cleveland area leaders will be interviewed for inclusion in the Collection once appropriate funding is secured.

Sounds of silence overwhelm talk of Cleveland's future

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In what may have been the last question* from the audience after a panel presentation on how catalyst projects throughout metro Cleveland impact the small business community, city councilman Kevin Conwell, whose Glenville area ward encompasses deep poverty cheek by jowl with the region's wealthiest concentration of institutional assets, rose to ask how the kinds of projects being discussed might be designed to benefit the whole community, especially those parts that suffer from "abject poverty".

Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Conwell's 8th Ward
encompasses the wealth and power of University Circle

as well as the poverty and promise of Glenville.

Conwell’s “tale of two cities” question was asked against the backdrop of a recent incident that clearly had him distressed; he had referenced the same issue earlier that week at the annual meeting of Famicos Foundation. Conwell spoke in both instances about having to call the city's health department over the filthy and unsafe conditions at Park Place, a 122-unit concrete estate that sits near the southwestern foot of University Circle. While geographically the estate sits just off the west end of Opportunity Corridor,

Park Place Apartments, where Councilman Kevin Conwell,
who lives about two blocks east of the complex, says that
residents are complaining of rodent infestation and other
unsanitary conditions. He has called for action by the city's
health department.

culturally there is a mile deep chasm between its tenants and the accumulated wealth perched just above it.

Conwell's question came after a discussion featuring Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, chief executive of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District; Carl Naso, CFO of the Port of Cleveland; David Ebersole, Cleveland's economic development director; and Deb Janik, senior vice president for real estate and business development at the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the nation's largest chamber of commerce.

Before Conwell's question brought the discussion down to earth, Janik had extolled the Opportunity Corridor, saying the project was a "foundation upon which to rebuild every single neighborhood". She praised her organization for its role in Cleveland's over-hyped "public-private partnership" development model, saying that "no one does [PPP] better than Greater Cleveland, and no one ever has." Unable to check her enthusiasm, Janik professed her belief in Cleveland's being the "greatest city in the country".

These comments fairly cried out for the counterpoint that Conwell's question provided. As we discussed with a friend afterwards, clearly just asking the question is not enough. But too often at such civic engagements — this annual meeting of the Uptown Business Association, held in the elegant quarters of Case Western Reserve University's Alumni Center — the concerns Conwell raised are invisible and unvoiced.

Several weeks ago, the managing partner of a midsize downtown law firm ratcheted up a civic debate on Cleveland's sorry ranking across a variety of metrics in contrast to our perceived municipal competitors. There was an immediate cry to round up and interrogate the usual suspects, worthy of Captain Renault at the end of Casablanca. Amid cries to form this or that committee or commission, there was scarcely a peep from Cleveland's black community, whose issues must be addressed if this region is ever to stop circling the drain.

There should not be a public meeting in Greater Cleveland on the status, accomplishments or prospects of our city or region, attended by any would be leader or representative of the black community, where the disparities and inequities of our community are not discussed. Nowhere is the timidity and fecklessness of our current leadership more in evidence than in our inability or unwillingness to even put our issues on the table.

Outside of our local sports icons, the three most celebrated public figures in most black homes are likely Martin Luther King, Carl Stokes and Muhammad Ali. All are now nearly universally lauded for their courageous stands born of principled conviction. But every one of them was vilified when they were standing strong. And many of those who sing their praises the loudest today battled them viciously every step of the way.

Where are today's representatives capable and willing to speak truth to power?

* We were unable to stay and hear any response to Conwell's question.

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