If You Wake Up You’ll Be Powerful
Screening at the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival
Saturday, September 23, 2017
4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Post Screening Panel w/Samaria Rice, Jerry Pena, Fred Ward, Terrence Spivey, Sloan Cargill
Free Community Screening
Tickets available at Shaker Square Cinemas Box Office
(the day of the show only)
Limited availability
First come first served
(CLEVELAND, OH, 3/22/2016) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joined more than 20 civil and human rights groups at a joint press conference yesterday in front of Cleveland City Hall to address what they assert are significant potential problems regarding plans for the procurement of equipment and deployment of personnel from the Cleveland Division of Police at the upcoming Republican National Convention (RNC) in Cleveland July 18-21.
The groups issued an open letter to the Mayor and City Council calling on Cleveland City Council to pass a de-militarization resolution, committing the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) to de-commission any purchased military-type equipment after the RNC.
(CLEVELAND, OHIO, 12/29/15) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Ohio (CAIR-OH) today expressed disappointment at the decision of a grand jury to not indict a white Cleveland police officer in the fatal shooting of Tamir Rice, a 12 year old African-American child.
The case began when a caller to 911 said a male who was “probably a juvenile” was pointing a gun that was “probably fake” at people in a Cleveland park. A Cleveland police officer opened fire, unprovoked, at Rice within seconds of arriving at the park. Rice died a day later from the gun wound. Rice had a toy gun tucked under his shirt that was not visible when shot by officers.
“Along with other Ohioans, we are dismayed by the fact that the investigation took over 13 months. We are also alarmed by the conduct of the prosecutor which may have tainted the outcome of the grand jury,” said CAIR-Cleveland Director Julia Shearson. “This and other similar cases nationwide, point to the urgent need for reforms in police procedures, training, and the grand jury process.” (more…)
(CLEVELAND, OH, 7/1/2015) — The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today called on the city’s Division of Police (CDP) to investigate whether a recently-promoted officer violated department policies by re-tweeting racist, anti-Muslim, anti-Obama, and pro-Confederate flag materials on Twitter.
Officer Frank Woyma, who was recently promoted from patrol officer to sergeant, has re-tweeted images of a Quran being flushed down a toilet and of President Obama’s campaign logo with the headline “This is a symbol of racism, I would like it removed from my country.” One re-tweet, with an image of a Crusader knight, is headlined: “I will turn back the Muslim hordes,” with the note “Join our fight to save America.”
(CLEVELAND, OH, 6/29/15) – The Cleveland branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Collaborative for a Safe, Fair and Just Cleveland, and the Cleveland Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild announced the filing of an Amicus Brief today in US Federal District Court in the matter of United States v. City of Cleveland (1:15-cv-01046). CAIR-Cleveland is a founding member of the Collaborative for a Safe, Fair and Just Cleveland.
(CLEVELAND, OH, 6/26/15) – On Monday June 29, the Cleveland Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Collaborative for a Safe, Fair and Just Cleveland and the Cleveland chapter of the National Lawyers Guild will hold a joint press conference to announce the filing of an amicus (friend of the court) brief in US Federal District Court in the matter of United States v. City of Cleveland (1:15-cv-01946).
[NOTE: The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) is a founding member of the Collaborative for a Safe, Fair and Just Cleveland.]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR-Cleveland Welcomes Judge’s Finding of Probable Cause to Charge Police Officers inTamir Rice’s Death
(CLEVELAND, OH, 6/12/15) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today welcomed a municipal court judge’s ruling Thursday that there is probable cause to charge two Cleveland police officers in the shooting death last November of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
(CLEVELAND, OH, 2/26/2015) – Dozens of people participated yesterday in a forum on bias-free policing with the Bias-Free Policing Work Group of the Cleveland Community Police Commission held at the ACLU of Ohio and co-coordinated by the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) and area Muslim groups.
The meeting was intended to give the Muslim community a chance to provide input into the set of recommendations on bias-free policing currently being drafted by the Community Police Commission. The Commission’s final recommendations on bias-free policing are due to be presented to the City of Cleveland by March 7.
Muslim civil rights group calls on people of all faiths to join rally tonight outside Cleveland City Hall
(CLEVELAND, OH, 12/8/14) – The Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland) today joined the call by religious leaders to attend a peaceful rally outside Cleveland City Hall this evening to push for police reforms.
CAIR-Cleveland is also calling on all people of conscience to join with the New Abolitionist Association of the Children’s Defense Fund to attend tonight’s Cleveland City Council meeting after the rally to demand accountability on the part of City Council in implementing needed reforms to the Cleveland Division of Police.
