Racial Equity Buddies • Community Forum

Racial equity buddies • Community forum

Saturday, April 5 • 10am–1pm

A continental breakfast will be served from 10-10:30 AM as part of the program.

North Presbyterian Church
4501 Superior Avenue • Cleveland, OH

To rsvp:

The date is significant: Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

A powerful community gathering honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through music, discussion, and action. The program includes live gospel music, a panel on Dr. King’s unfinished work, interactive breakout sessions, and a closing drum circle to inspire collective action.

These times demand we strategize, organize & act! This gathering is a robust call to action—blending culture, knowledge, and community to resolutely honor Dr. King’s legacy and advance his fight for equity and justice. We gather to reclaim the spirit of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We gather to uplift one another (we begin with live gospel/spirituals). We gather to learn from our esteemed panelists and moderator. We gather to strategize & build community (small brainstorming breakout groups to discuss actions). And we gather to embolden ourselves as we close with a dynamic drum circle.

We begin with uplifting spiritual and gospel music to set the tone. A thought-provoking panel follows, exploring Dr. King’s unfinished work and its impact on Greater Cleveland today. From there, we move into interactive breakout sessions to reflect, strategize, and find ways to take meaningful action. Each group will share key takeaways before we close, as we began, with culture—this time, a drum circle to embolden and energize us as we carry forward the work of justice.

Panelists

Matthew Ann

Attorney, & criminal law & "justice" system expert.

Brenda Glass

Trauma expert

chris Knestrick

Director of the Northeast Homeless Coalition

Moderator & Cultural Artists

Maria Smith

Attorney & advocate

PROFESSOR OLU MANNS

Africana Studies, Kent State

Donna Walton

Gospel Artists

Our drum major for justice, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., not only stood with the poor, oppressed, and marginalized—he was treated as one of them. We strive to revive that spirit within ourselves, acting boldly in the solidarity and justice he exemplified.

Honor MLK by Demanding Real Change. Dr. King knew that justice requires more than words—it demands radical structural change. He spoke unapologetically about systemic racism, writing in A Testament of Hope (1969), “White America must recognize that justice for Black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society.” In Stride Toward Freedom (1958), he reminded us, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. In August 1967, King spoke about the three evils “the sickness of racism, excessive materialism, and militarism.”.

Join Us. Stand in Solidarity. Take Action.