News media contact: Thomas S. McAnally, UMNS, Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470
See also: Targeted by Hate Group, Pastor and Congregation Respond with Prayer
CLEVELAND, OH August 23, 1999 -- Days before a Ku Klux Klan rally came to the city of Cleveland, Saturday, Aug., 21, people of faith gathered in large numbers to oppose the racist group.
As city officials argued about the right of the Klan to assemble in Cleveland, church officials rallied together in support of peace.
Even as parking bans went into effect and security fences were put in place, a parade of people walked through the streets of Cleveland Heights encouraging passers by to "beep for unity." People of different races, nationalities and religious groups held hands. They smiled and talked with each other. One little girl, walking with her parents and younger siblings held a sign that said "help people be nicer."
Children and youth from the Church of the Redeemer, a United Methodist congregation in Cleveland Heights, brought banners made in Vacation Bible School two weeks before the parade. City residents applauded as the banners passed by. Cleveland District Superintendent Julius Trimble and his wife Rae were among those marching in the peace parade held at the same time as the KKK rally.
Charles and Barbara Freeman, members of Redeemer Church, brought their children, 13
year-old Jason and 4 month old Adam, the youngest peace advocate. A bi-racial couple, the Freemans wanted their children to see a community coming together in support of one another. "It's a terrible thing to hate for no reason at all," Charles said.
Others shared his opinion. "The thought of people hating each other makes me really
uncomfortable," said 13 year-old Hallie Majewski another Redeemer member who marched in the unity rally. "God made all of us. In many ways we are the same. Our differences just make us interesting," she said.
"In many ways the Klan has been helpful to us," said the Rev. Rosa Clements, pastor of the Werner United Methodist Church in East Cleveland. "If nothing else, the rally has brought the religious community together. It has caused us to dialogue with each other." Clements, who is black, is chairwoman of the church's East Ohio Commission on Religion and Race. She and Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton, of the East Ohio Area, sent letters encouraging pastors and congregations to attend one of the many anti-Klan rallies held throughout the city and suburbs.
The Rev. Kenneth Chalker, pastor of First United Methodist Church, said he felt the need to be downtown during the Klan rally. About 300 anti-Klan supporters were present. Cleveland will be the site for the denomination's General Conference May 2-12, 2000. Chalker is chairman of the host committee and a member of the commission planning the 10-day, international event.
"Jesus didn't stay in the Upper Room," Chalker said. "I'm a downtown pastor, when the streets of the city are threatened, I'm going to be in the streets as a peace keeper. We have to stand up against hate. Meet it where it is and deal with it face to face."
Members of First Church joined with members of NAACP in the peaceful protest. Chalker, who is white, was asked by city officials to serve as a "peace keeper" to keep the crowds from crossing barricades. Anyone who attended the rally downtown had to pass through a metal detector. Each person was allowed to carry one key and an identification card or driver's license. Objects that could be used to harm people or could be thrown into the crowd were not permitted. This included belts, jewelry and money.
According to Chalker, the peace keeper's job was to speak to rally participants before they went into the area guarded by the police. The peace keepers informed rally participants what they should expect when they encountered police. "It worked very well, said Chalker. "It disarmed a lot of anger." Chalker expressed alarm at the young age of the Klan supporters, most of whom were in their thirties.
Other peaceful protests included a rally at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church where an estimated 600 people praised God through word and music, prayed for the city to come together in peace, and encouraged Klan members to go to area churches to learn love, not hate.
Brooklyn Memorial United Methodist Church hosted two events to educate participants about hate groups and how to take action to cure racism. United Methodist-related Baldwin Wallace College was the site for a "teach-in" entitled "Specific Actions You Can take and Dances for Universal Peace." These events were sponsored by United WE-CAN, a community organization that focuses on economic, social, and environmental justice.
Veteran civil rights leader, the Rev. C.T. Vivian, was the featured speaker for the event. Vivian organized his first non-violent direct action protesting segregation in 1945 during a series of lunch sit-ins in Peoria, Ill. Through the years he organized protest marches in Nashville, participated in demonstrations in Albany, Birmingham and Selma. In 1979, he helped found the Anti-Klan Network, which later became the Center for Democratic Renewal, where he currently serves as chairman.
The Klan rally in Cleveland lasted about 80 minutes. In the end, the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper reported 40 Klansmen, 25 Klan supporters, 300 anti-Klan supporters in downtown, 600 police officers and more than 5,000 participants in anti-Klan, peaceful protests and educational events.
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*Panovec is director of communications for the East Ohio Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
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News Service, official news agency of the United Methodist Church, with offices in
Nashville, Tenn., New York, and Washington.
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