Mon 8/2
It was 52 years ago when congressman Louis Stokes founded his Labor Day Parade and Festival as a show of unity and pride in the Black community. Since then his successors. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones and Marcia Fudge carried on the tradition, and now Shontel Brown has picked up the torch, hosting her third such event. Although the crowd seemed lighter than usual —some speculated that the shootings during a large gathering in East Cleveland the previous night kept people hope — the weather was perfect and the parade down Kinsman Avenue was massive, incorporating all sectors of the community, Black and white, and lots of candidates, of course. Hundreds of kids went home on a sugar high as delegation after delegation dumped candy into eagerly offered shopping bags and tote. Following the parade, people trooped into Luke Easter for picnics and entertainment, as well as short speeches from politicians including U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown who is up for reelection.
One of the main themes this year was the importance of voting in November: t-shirt reminders were everywhere and so were clipboards with voter registration forms. The “Divine Nine” Black fraternities and sororities were among the most forceful with the message, and Alpha Kappa Alpha, which counts Kamala Harris among its members, paraded to the thumping beat of a tune whose insistent refrain was “vote.” Just do it!
View the PHOTOSTREAM here.
Cleveland, OH 44104