M
y name is Dorian Martin and I am a lifelong resident of Cleveland Heights and CHHS alum, Class of 2014. I’ve been fortunate to see the city’s growth through the different stages of my life. Through the CHUH school system I’ve been able to make friends with men and women of many races and ethnicities. In kindergarten, I remember trading “Lunchables” for anything from African dishes to sushi. As an adult, I’ve seen Cleveland Heights from a different perspective. I see the cultural diversity and sense of community, but what I really see is an opportunity to be greater. Unfortunately, last summer was filled with acts of brutality against AfricanAmericans from police. With the growing use of social media it’s becoming easier for the world to see what we’ve known to be true since the civil rights movement. On May 25th, George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police and social media made his execution accessible on our cellphones. My friends and family were outraged that once again another white police officer might get away with killing an African-American man in cold blood. My friends and I protested in Cleveland Heights and were surprised by the turnout of community members. At city hall, the organizers and government officials spoke to the crowd. But the words from officials felt hollow and filled me with the uneasy feeling that nothing was going to change - and the cycle of systemic racism in this country, and specifically in my backyard, would continue. After the march, we decided that now was the time to stand up and make our community greater. If we sat by and watched life after life continue to be lost, no change could come. With our voices, we started to finally address the issues that African-Americans experience in such a culturally diverse city. The color of your skin could determine how you are treated by police - who you’ve been taught since safety-town are supposed to protect us. Imagine how it feels when fellow citizens of this city clutch their purses or cross the street when they see us. In June, we put our heads together to create a march of our own. This time the venue was the Coventry area, specifically the police department on Superior Road. We marched from Coventry Peace Park to the police station and back but we didn’t walk alone - at least 1000 people came to march with us and hear our stories. I am most proud that we gave a local family affected by police brutality the time to speak in front of the crowd to share their perspective. My goal in Safer Heights is to create a dialogue that will unite neighborhoods. Working together is the only way to ensure the vision of Cleveland Heights: that “all are welcome”.
March for Safer Heights June 14, 2020. Our first event brought around 1000 people to Coventry to stand with us to confront injustice in Cleveland Heights.
Big thanks to @jj_icecreamandcafe for welcoming Safer Heights with open arms & allowing us to co-sponsor the shop’s 3rd annual Back-to-School Drive. Together we gave 100 backpacks and school supplies to the community.
Learn more about Safer Heights and its work in the community at SaferHeights.com
Safer Heights is a Black youth led organization in Cleveland Heights. We aim to confront injustice, racism, and violent policing by building power through direct engagement with our friends, family, neighbors and other members of the community. We can make Cleveland Heights safer for everyone, no matter the color of your skin. Through the power of grassroots organizing, we aim to challenge local policies that perpetuate racial inequity & by advocating for the reallocation of funds towards public safety alternatives to policing. We are committed to community empowerment and building a Safer Heights for our Black residents specifically, and ultimately for all residents.
Safer Heights helps @Tigernation4strongschools pass out info on issue 69 on voter day.
#TIGERNATIONINDIVISIBLE
