Grieving Mothers To Hold Silent March Through Cleveland

CLEVELAND — Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood will see a silent march of 100 grieving mothers on Oct. 31.

The Silent March will consist of mothers who have lost children or loved ones to violence. The march will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The march will begin at the Glenville Recreation Center, 680 E. 113th Street in Cleveland.

The march is being organized by the Peacemakers Alliance, which is dedicated to reducing violence in Cleveland. The organization is led by Executive Director Myesha Crowe.

“The sad reality is that the grieving process of a mother is never ending — the internal and personal healing is interrupted when the shared pain of losing a child to violence is now affecting another mother. I see this vivid picture when I close my eyes of mothers around the world crying collectively at the reality of having lost their child and the thought that my child could be next – I cry those same tears," Crowe said.

The organizers said they picked Halloween to play off the idea of wearing a mask. Mothers who have lost loved ones to violence, must always wear a mask of being OK, even when they're not, organizers said.

“Many people hear and see the pain of grieving mothers,” Crowe added. “But it is time for us to feel the pain the ongoing pain that continues when it is no longer a household conversation.

Organizers have established these rules for the March of Silence:

• Please be respectfully silent during the march
• This is a time to join community in grief and mourning. Attendees are asked not to disrespect that by initiating chanting or booing
• There will be an art station to create signs and other visual ways of making voices heard during the protest
• Please take the pandemic seriously
• Maintain six feet of distance from everyone who’s not in your household. There will be plenty of room, so be willing to spread out and expand the footprint of the march
• Bring appropriate facial coverings (mask, cloth, scarf, bandana, etc.)
• Do not attend if you are sick, exhibiting symptoms, or if you believe you have come into contact with someone who had COVID-19
• After closing remarks, please disperse and return to the start of the march to return safely to your destination