CityVoiceCLE Local updates. Clear action.

Vote to Fight Voter Suppression Efforts

An Editorial by Sheila Ferguson

Many African Americans are proud that their ancestors forged the Civil Rights movement. They stood up and risked life and limb to afford themselves and their descendants the right to vote. Historically, it has always been a fight against voter suppression and racial and economic discrimination. In these years of grievance politics, all Americans must be vigilant about local and national efforts to rob citizens of their fundamental rights and access to the ballot box.

Over four hundred anti-voter bills have recently been introduced in forty-eight states. These bills have sought to create unnecessary roadblocks for people to register to vote. Democracy is all about participation and allowing the voices of the American people as eligible voters to be heard. Vote to impact your community and the nation positively. Vote because many social issues are affected by elections, including (but not limited to) gay marriage, reproductive rights, health care, sports participation, gender-affirming care, environmental issues, public education, etc. Social issues affect everyone in one way or another.

According to scholar and griot [i.e., historian or storyteller] Dr. Russell Booker of America’s Black Holocaust Museum (in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), America has a long history of threats and intimidation against Blacks and poor White southern voters from the Jim Crow era until now. Booker notes that the historical voter suppression tactics included:

  1. Literacy tests proving the ability to read
  2. Property test indicating that only property owners could vote
  3. A grandfather clause which stated that people who could not read or did not own property could vote if their grandfathers voted before 1867
  4. All white primary elections strategy where Republicans ran first against Republicans and Democrats against Democrats, ending with the Republican winner running against the Democratic winner—Note: Blacks were not allowed to vote Democrat
  5. Locally purging the names of Black voters from the official lists of voters
  6. Not allowing former prisoners to vote
  7. Demands for government IDs like driver’s licenses, special photo IDs, birth certificates, and
  8. Denying the homeless the ability to vote.

Today’s modern voter suppression tactics being implemented across the nation are much the same, and include:

  1. Felony Disenfranchisement blocks those with incarceration histories
  2. Redistricting and Gerrymandering
  3. Voter Purges, and
  4. Voter ID Laws.

Today the fundamental aim of voter suppression across the U.S. is to ensure that chosen GOP candidates win reelection, no matter what the voters say. Looking at recent Ohio history dating back to 2018, there have been a series of efforts to make voter suppression into law. In a 5-4 ruling in 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court gave Ohio a victory in a fight over the state’s method for removing people from the voter rolls. Nationally, this is a practice that civil rights groups say discourages and negatively impacts minority turnout.

In 2021, like other anti-voting bills introduced across the U.S. by the GOP, Ohio’s House Bill 294 severely restricted access to ballot drop boxes and absentee voting. The Ohio House Bill sought to limit the number of drop boxes to just one location per county, and that location can have up to three drop boxes. It would also allow drop boxes to be used only in the ten days leading up to Election Day, a considerable decrease from last year when Ohio voters had 30 days to return their ballot via drop box. Those boxes would also only be allowed outside the county Board of Elections offices, hindering voters who do not live near the offices and do not have easy access to transportation. Such voters would have to find other ways to return their ballots.

In addition to the drop box changes, the bill imposed new restrictions on voter registrations and absentee voting, including limiting what kind of mail-in ballots can be “cured”—the process of fixing small mistakes voters made on their ballots so that the votes can count. HB 294 would also move the absentee ballot request deadline up seven days and eliminate in-person absentee voting on the Monday before Election Day. Additionally, the bill would cut early voting hours, require two forms of voter ID, and limit the existing ability of the Ohio secretary of state to prepay postage on election mail. Like similar bills across the country, HB 294 aimed to disproportionately affect Black and Brown voters, students, low-income residents, disabled people, active-duty military, and seniors.

In 2023, an Ohio House Bill (HB 458) was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on Jan. 6. HB 458 was designed to enact a strict photo ID requirement and limit mail-in and in-person early voting. It is the first significant voter suppression law enacted after the 2022 midterms.

In these challenging times, the range of voter suppression efforts demands that responsible citizens vote. Voting is a response to the present-day efforts to take away rights concerning reproductive health, sports participation rights for transgender kids, and access to the factual elements of American history. Stand up and be counted, and do not al

Above-Ground Oil Tank in Hough Residential Area? (Update)

By Staff Writer

Update: The City of Cleveland Zoning Commission unanimously vote to not approve the the 12,0000 gallon above ground fuel tank variance for the George Family Enterprise, LLC. Notable opposition to the appeal was MidTown Cleveland, The Cleveland Foundation and several resident near and around the facilities. Residents sent in emails and showed up at city hall to express their concerns.

George Family Enterprises, LLC, proposes to install a 12,000-gallon above-ground gas storage tank and equipment in the Midtown Mixed Use District 2 (MMUD-2) on 71st at the corner of Chester Ave. But why at this location, and why above-ground?

Gasoline storage tanks in a common gas station are normally underground, protected by dirt and cement, and have an assortment of safety requirements and regulations. Above-ground storage tanks are only permitted in industrial and semi-industrial districts according to the city of Cleveland’s codified ordinances, section 334.03(b). An above-ground storage tank has very stringent safety requirements. Accidents are rarely heard of, but they happen more frequently than might be expected. Any sharp metal projectile can penetrate the tank and cause an explosion.

The installation of an above-ground gas or oil storage tank could be fatal to residents, and yet only a few residents were even notified by email of a meeting, which was held on the facility grounds at 7001 Euclid Avenue on August 31. All residents in the community should have been notified of the meeting, or at the very least the residents living within two city blocks should have been notified.

Residents who were in attendance expressed their opposition to an above-ground variance from the city code to allow the tank to be installed. One community member asked about a suppression plan in case of an accident or explosion, but was not satisfied with the answers related to such suppression.

Other critical questions include:

What has changed to support a variance? Technology? If so, is there data to support approving the appeal for a variance? Where are other above-ground storage tanks located in residential areas in Northeast Ohio with a variance? Are certain communities (like Midtown) no longer considered residential? Was the neglect to invite all residents to the August 31st meeting a lack of preparation or a lack of consideration? Are business needs (convenience and profit) more important than the safety of the community?

 This code was created for a reason and should be adhered to. Many questions, not enough answers.

Tahirah S. Mujahid: Encouraging Honest Life Changes

By Sheila Ferguson
This tribute is for one of Hough’s own, Mrs. Tahirah Mujahid, a coworker and colleague for over 20 years at both the Cleveland Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs (UMADAOP) and the Catholic Charities Corporation. Throughout her life, Tahirah served as a social worker and foot soldier in the war against community decline and poverty. To her credit, she has been a part of the positive uplift created by the late Councilwoman Fannie Lewis’ community services team, and Cleveland UMADAOP’s various family services, prevention, and recovery initiatives.

Mujahid passed on
Mujahid passed on June 19th of this year and was celebrated with Janazah, a Muslim funeral prayer, on June 23, 2023 at the Cummings and Davis Funeral Home. She is remembered as a loving daughter, sister, faithful wife, mother, grandmother, friend to many, and third-generation member of Masjid Bilal. As a local personality, who can forget her lively presence, exuberant laugh, and colorful wardrobe of bright hijabs and flowing kaftans? Her glamour was accentuated by her self-confidence and her flair for knowing just how to enter a room and then work it. Still, her inspiration and love of people and the community live on. Tahirah’s triumphant contributions and walk through this life bear mentioning.

The Early Years
Over the years she has been a certified instructor in the Center for Inclusive Child Care’s (CICC) effective Black parenting , and group leader in UMADAOP’s AKOMA Women’s Program. More recently, she served as UMADAOP’s Lead Community Instructor for the Multiple Approach Response Strategy Project, known as MARS. Through MARS she trained scores of professionals and families to prevent opioid deaths.

This graduate of the South High Class of ’71 raised three successful daughters Shahidah, Nathifa, and Chaya. As a working adult, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Capital University in 2004. Wherever Tahirah went, she was sounding the alarm on hidden community dangers, touching hearts, and telling personal stories of challenge and triumph, addiction and recovery, and a life of sober living. She did it to give others an “imagination and a vision” that recovery, healing, and growth are possible for us all only if we are willing to work at it. Angela Quinn, community social work manager of CMHA’s Community-Based Services Program, spoke with TCO about Tahirah’s life and contributions.

Quinn and Mujahid began their careers in child welfare and family preservation with the formation of the Department of Children and Family Services Program’s Family to Family Program in the late 1990s. Quinn recalls that from the start Mrs. Tahirah Mujahid was a fearless trailblazer and role model. Quinn also notes that after years of working in the field, ”Tahirah wasn’t just a colleague, she was a friend. We worked with the families in the Central and Hough communities,” she said. “So as women, we shared a strong faith and passion for advocating for people. And because of it, we shared resources, information, and ideas for betterment. Over the years we have been there for each other, especially in the tough times. Thankfully she said I got to repay the favor and be there for her daughters during her health challenges.”

A Growing Career of Service
Quinn says that Tahirah was a down-home take-no-prisoners “Big Mamma” type of social worker. She encouraged everyone’s growth by giving them a realistic assessment of their situation, insight into what was not working in their lives, and some helpful hints on the steps to victory. As frank as she was, she always spoke “the truth in love.”

In the worlds of child welfare and substance abuse recovery, she was a sure-footed guide to helping parents regain custody of their children placed in foster care and achieving recovery. Those successes came from Tahirah’s ability to candidly explain how a person’s negative behaviors and communication style impact their working relationships with family, case workers and supervisors, school principals, and judges. She was also a broker and bridge-builder who created solid working relationships inside the Department of Children and Family Services and with the residents of the Hough community. She also had a thorough knowledge of the Ohio Revised Code laws and the policies and procedures of the Annie E. Casey Family to Family Program. In recovery, she also knew every home group leader and sponsor across northeast Ohio who could help those mounting the Twelve Steps.

In serving the community, Tahirah demanded that all of her clients do the hard work of making “honest life changes.” It was her view that such honest life changes help us grow. So in her view, it is the magical key that unlocks doors to success.

Wisdom Learned and Shared
Since we are all on a journey, here is Tahirah’s recipe for “Making Honest Life Changes.”

STEP 1: Look at yourself in the mirror and give thanks to Allah or your Creator that you are here and have enough breath in your body to begin making some honest life changes.

STEP 2: Humble yourself by being thankful for the good stuff and good people in your life. Then ask the Creator for the strength to make all the necessary changes needed to live a happy and successful life. I am talking about changing everything from drugs, drinking, lying, quarrelsomeness, stinginess, poverty, thievery, a poor self-image, fear, aloneness, or the inability to speak up or stand up for yourself or anything else holding you back. She’d say, we all need to own what needs to be improved and take charge of ourselves by working the plan until it is second nature.

STEP 3: She’d also say that the solutions may include: entering therapy or treatment, joining an AA or NA recovery program, or joining an assertiveness training program, domestic violence class, mediation, exercise, Tai Chi, or spiritual practice group. Maybe this is the time to get a GED, choose a career, or earn a degree, certificate, or license. Taking on an honest life change can spirit you into a whole new way of living and make you a better person!

Thanks and blessings, Tahirah, for your wisdom.

Thank You Cleveland Foundation!

The Cleveland Foundation (TCF) has awarded The Cleveland Observer (TCO) a grant from its Cleveland Black Futures Fund. The Fund supports Cleveland-based nonprofit organizations that are both Black-led and Black-serving. TCO staff and Board members wish to thank the Cleveland Foundation and their partners for this great resource, in furtherance of building a non-profit media/publishing company.
The mission of The Cleveland Observer is to engage, educate and empower the communities we serve. But for the grace of God, and the funding provided by Neighborhood Connections and the Cleveland Foundation, TCO would not exist. On behalf of all of us at The Cleveland Observer – Thank You!

Ron Calhoun, President and Publisher
The Cleveland Observer

20+ Questions About Broadband Legislation in Cleveland

By R.A. Calhoun

Mayor Bibb’s administration submitted two pieces of legislation for Council approval. The first was a $20 million proposal from Digital C, a Cleveland-based, non-profit technology enterprise that provides fixed wireless internet citywide. The second proposed legislation was an agreement with SiFi Networks to privately invest over $400 million to deploy a citywide fiber optic network, without any public financing. Both were presented at the City Council meeting on Monday, May 8.

There was also a special presentation by Digital C just before the regular council meeting. Digital C states on its website that they have connected more than 1,100 households, including the homes of more than 900 Cleveland Metropolitan School District students.

Digital C  is bringing an additional $20 million-dollar grant received from the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation and the David and Inez Myers Foundation.  Last July, Digital C was federally granted $3 million to provide affordable, high-speed (35 megabyte) internet to the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood in Cleveland.

A City of Cleveland press release states that Digital C already offers access to thousands of households in Cleveland.  They plan to expand their coverage to all 170,000+ households within 18 months of signing a contract with the city, pending City Council approval. They are a company that has taken 7 years to sign up 1,100 subscribers and 900 households.

Why would residents sign up now for a service not available for 7 years or 2 years minimum?

SiFi Networks is revolutionizing the US telecom market through private funding, building and operating citywide, open access, 10G fiber networks. For context, think about  how water travels in a pipe. A kilobyte is like a straw. A megabyte is like a 1/4″ copper pipe. A gigabyte would be a sewer in the street tall enough for a man to walk in. SiFi Networks offers an open-access network that enables service providers of all sizes to access new markets without the cost of constructing a network.

Why Digital C? Was there a Request For Proposals (RFP) process to choose a Provider? Was there community input?

Here are more questions that need to be answered for the City Council and the residents of Cleveland.

General Questions

  1. How long has SiFi Networks been building networks?
  2. How many projects in other cities are completed?
  3. Do they have other projects of this size?
  4. Is there any data available for the work they have completed?
    Issues? Accidents? Customer service?
  5. What is the Installation status of the current 11 cities where they are working?
  6. Is the infrastructure going to be available to all ISP’s?
  7. If SIFI is going to provide the fiber and ISP’s are providing the service, what is Digital C’s role?
  8. “The funds will also be used to expand Digital C nationally.” What does this mean? Is the city paying to promote them nationally?
  9. In terms of labor capacity, will they bring in a full crew or hire locally? If locally, how many?

Technical Questions

  1. Is this a full-scale build out of a fiber network? If not, where is the focus? In what neighborhoods?
  2. How will they install the fiber? Above ground? Underground?
    Front Yard? Back Yard?
  3. How does the fiber get to the home from the Network Access Point (NAP)?
    Above ground? Underground? Digital C?
  4. Who is going to provide the installation of the fiber and terminal to the home? Does Digital C have experience in running cable? When and where?
  5. Where will the HUB or central office be located? Who will maintain it?
  6. How many ISP providers are already signed up in other cities?

Contractual Questions

  1. Once a contractor has completed a project like this, what is the contractor’s anticipated revenue? Is there a financial projection?
  2. Is Digital C open to Revenue Sharing or a percentage of your revenue as a community benefit?
  3. When will Digital C apply for state funding?

The premise is that the more information they provide assists the City Council in making a better decision on whether to pass legislation.

East Palestine: What’s Happening?

By Lily Stuart

On Feb. 3, a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, after a railcar axle failed due to a mechanical defect. 11 of the total cars impacted contained hazardous materials. Safety crews performed a controlled burn of the material, which released a black plume of smoke into the air.

Hazardous chemicals have found their way into East Palestine’s water supply. A network of streams stretching roughly 20 miles connects the area of the derailment to the Ohio River, and from there, the Ohio River basin extends to nine other states. As a result, water contamination spreading to other, connected states remains a concern.

Cleveland City Council and the Cleveland Water Department have confirmed that Cleveland’s water supply is safe to drink and will continue to be tested. The city’s water is supplied from Lake Erie and its watershed, which is entirely separate from the affected Ohio River and its watershed. The Division of Air Quality within the Cleveland Department of Public Health is continuing to test air quality to ensure safety.

Those interested in monetarily supporting East Palestine can do so through The Brightside Project, a Salem-based nonprofit, whose website offers a multitude of donation options. The American Red Cross has also been on the ground at the site of the derailment since the day it occurred.

Sources: Cleveland City Council, USA Today, WKYC.

Image via Ideastream.

The Roaming Biscuit’s Bake Shop and Café

By Ray Hom

As part of our mission, The Cleveland Observer seeks to uplift and support minority-owned businesses in or near Cleveland, Ohio.

I recently made plans with a neighborhood friend to meet for coffee and chat about a community project. He recommended meeting at The Bake Shop and Café at Tyler Village. To my surprise, I was introduced to this hidden gem at Tyler Village located at Superior and 36th Street. If you haven’t been, you need to stop in for breakfast and/or lunch or just meet up for coffee and pastries.

Upon entering the café, we were greeted with a smile and very friendly service by a person who just happened to be the café owner, Shawnda Moye. Her personality was infectious so I wanted to learn more about Shawnda and her Café. I had the opportunity to sit down with her and hear about her journey in opening the Café and running a small business in these challenging times.

History & Passion for Biscuits

Shawnda’s passion for baking started as a child when her mom taught her how to make peach cobbler. This included using fresh ingredients like fresh peaches and making the crust from scratch. She started making desserts all the time as a child in elementary school. She would always bake goods and ship her goodies to family and friends. Her baking continued throughout life when she decided to perfect her trade and worked at bakeries and cafes to learn the technique and trade secrets further.

She started her career in Sales and Ops Management after school, but she knew she always wanted to open a bakery and café. Shawnda grew up in Cincinnati, went to school in Tallahassee, FL, and lived in various places in the South. While living in the South, she noticed there were always great places to go for biscuits and biscuit sandwiches.

In 2015, she decided to move to Cleveland to work for a caterer and other restaurants to build a clientele for baked goods. She soon realized that homemade fresh breakfast sandwiches were hard to find in Cleveland, especially biscuit sandwiches. In 2019, Shawnda decided to start her business by doing pop-ups around town. Her new business, The Roaming Biscuit, started attracting a following with the pop-ups. She had to quickly get creative with the newfound popularity and used ghost kitchens and other partners to prep The Roaming Biscuit.

During the middle of the pandemic in June 2021, she found a café space that was available in Tyler Village. The space had everything she needed to open her business. The timing was perfect and she found a home with all the kitchen equipment in place and a perfect space with seating. She finally found a permanent home for her biscuits!

More importantly, there were no other breakfast sandwich locations in the neighborhood, so it was a perfect location to open The Bake Shop and Café.

Running a Small Business

Opening during the pandemic and staying open beyond challenges locally owned small and medium-sized businesses. Shawnda has survived the tough times and continues growing her business.  I asked her what motivates and drives her success in today’s challenging times with the shortages in the workforce.

Shawnda does what she does because she’s passionate about preparing food for customers and seeing her customers’ complete satisfaction with her food and service. When that happens, she enjoys that ultimate feeling of success. Be it one person or the entire day, she leaves satisfied knowing that she has accomplished her mission. Food brings people together, and her goal is to have fun at the Café while providing great food for customers. That’s what happened to me on my first visit to the Café!

This may sound easy, but during these challenging times hiring, keeping, and motivating a talented team in the F&B industry is difficult.  Shawnda feels it’s so important to ensure that you allow your team to use their creativity with menu items and trust that their creativity will be a hit on the menu. This creates a boost of confidence for each team member. As customers, it’s essential to provide feedback because when the feedback is positive, it creates confidence in the creativity.

Shawnda’s advice for running a business is to always keep pushing ahead with a positive attitude. If you put the hard work in, it will eventually pay off. Always focus on your customer service in order to be successful because returning customers are vital to your success. Finally, don’t try to be too trendy in your offering and stick to what you do best in your environment.

Supporting the Community

As a Black Woman Owned business, Shawnda tries to use her platform to showcase other businesses owned by women and people of color. She feels it is important to support others like her. She uses a network to get the word out and bring awareness to others.

In the Café, there is a wall of locally owned businesses that she shares with customers. She is able to promote other women-owned and/or black-owned businesses in the community. In addition, she seeks out vendors and partners to work within her networks such as Saucisson, a butcher shop, and The Home Pantry, both women-owned businesses. She also works with Adun Spices, a Black woman-owned business.

Shawnda feels it’s important to support these businesses which is why I feel it is important to highlight The Bake Shop and Café as we have a shared mission of uplifting and supporting minority-owned businesses.

About The Bake Shop and Cafe

The Bake Shop and Café uses all homemade ingredients serving delicious full Roaming Biscuit breakfast and lunch items, coffee, and a rotating menu of amazing pastries and desserts!

Specialties include all breakfast biscuits and biscuit sandwiches, the Curry Chicken on Naan, and homemade pastries and desserts.

Located in Tyler Village, 3615 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114.

(216) 452-6035

https://theroamingbiscuit.com/

Open daily 7am-2 pm, Closed on Weekends.

Available for dine-in or takeout, catering, and pop-up events.

Be sure to stop by and say hello to Shawnda and mention you read about her in The Cleveland Observer!

BE INCLUDED IN DEVELOPING THE HOUGH STRATEGIC PLAN

Councilwoman Stephanie House: I need your input for building the strategic plan for the Hough Community. Focus groups will be held in August and September 2022. Dates and locations to be announced. Register here: Or Call 1-833 732-2410 or scan the QR code .

Your feedback will be used to build the Hough Strategic Plan!

Focus groups facilitated by Rosa Consulting, LLC

Cleveland Asian Festival a Huge Success

By Ron Calhoun

Photo by Yugan Sakthi

The event was well planned and very well attended after a two year in-person hiatus. The Cleveland Asian Festival has become a early summer highlight for Clevelanders. Well over 5000 people enjoyed socializing with good food and lots of fun activities. Cleveland weather is know for changing every day, but for the festival it was a perfect sunny 85 degrees day.

Lisa DeBolt, who moved to Cleveland 6 years ago, attended with her daughter. She attends the festival every year. “The Asiatown Festival offers a lot because of the coming together of the various cultures. I am always curious to learn something new every day and there is so much to learn about art, history and food which are often overlooked.”

Although masks were recommended, many did not wear them. More than 100 vendors and exhibits lined Payne Ave at East 30th Street, and in the Asia Plaza parking lot, with long lines to purchase food. Inside the Asia Plaza the restaurant lines were just as long, and had a San Francisco  atmosphere as attendees walked through observing and purchasing merchandise.

Mirica Woodley, 14 said “the Asian Festival is such a great way to explore all the cultures and become more knowledgeable of all the Asian cultures. Exposure to the cultures is so impactful as part of the learning process. Meeting and introducing people to the various cultures is such an amazing experience! It’s more than just the food!”

Mirica Woodley, 14 Photo by Yugan Sakthi

The Cleveland Asian Festival is an all volunteer run festival to highlight Cleveland’s Asiatown neighborhood while celebrating Asian culture and diversity in the city of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

Free Admission, Free Parking, Free Tours of AsiaTown, Free Performances and demonstrations on two outdoor stages.

Free health screenings at the Health Pavilion in Asia Plaza, free guided tours of Cleveland’s Asiatown, free games, “Sumo” Wrestling, dance and eating contests!

It was a great way to start the summer!

Things to Do to Avoid a Car-Jacking

By Garfield Heights Police Department – Ohio

Due to an increased number of vehicle thefts and carjackings, here are a few tips to consider to keep you and your family safe!
– Always keep your doors and windows locked.
– Do not leave your car running with keys in the ignition.
– When stopped in traffic, keep one car length between you and the car in front of you. This gives you room to maneuver and escape if necessary.
– Beware of individuals approaching your vehicle to ask for directions, hand out flyers, etc.
– Keep your purse, tablet, laptop, and other valuables in the trunk or out of sight.
– Always keep your phone with you. (However it is NOT a good idea to check texts, surf the web, or chit chat when first entering or before exiting your vehicle. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS!)
– Stay vigilant in public garages, parking lots and ramps, gas stations, drive-up ATMs, and stoplights.
– Pay attention to the “bump and rob” method. Carjackers often use this method to steal a car. They will bump their vehicle into another one; once the driver gets out to check the damage to their car, a passenger in the other vehicle will make their move. As the victim is distracted with assessing the damage, the passenger then enters the victim’s car and drives away.
– If you get in an accident, stay in your car and call the police.
– Most importantly, never try to reason with a carjacker; your safety is more important. Your life is valuable and you cannot be replaced, the vehicle can be.