CLEVELAND — The gruesome discovery of two young half-sisters, dead inside suitcases, is now giving Cleveland nonprofits a renewed push for change and action in the community.
"Anytime a tragedy like this strikes our community, it shakes our community to the core," The People's Office Executive Director, Eljay'em, told me on Tuesday.
Eljay'em said in times like these, organizations like hers want to create a space for healing, connection, and action as a way to strengthen the community.
On Tuesday, in conjunction with other local nonprofits like Together We Rise, M-PAC, and IAC, a community meeting was held to not only reflect and pray but also discuss how to move forward together.
One of the initiatives discussed is called Project Ripple.
"Project Ripple is a three-layered approach to community engagement, getting people involved with the different critical concerns and issues in the neighborhood. Honestly, just reinventing or re-engaging that whole village concept and then helping them understand that they hold the power to make the change," Impact Cleveland CEO and Together We Rise co-founder, Michelle Bell, said.
Bell described the project as sitting at the "micro-level" right now.
"We need people that are concerned and want to see change, and I think people are at the point where it's like enough is enough," Bell said. "It is not a quick fix. It's not a one-and-done. This is something for the long term, building it with residents that care."
I asked Bell, "Everybody always preaches change after something like this happens. Do you, in your heart, believe that Cleveland can change, that Cleveland can be better soon?"
She responded, "Oh, absolutely. I believe in my heart, my heart of hearts. My hope is there, or I wouldn't be doing this — that Cleveland can change. Let's get back to Cleveland being the best location in the nation. Make those changes. Make that our goal."
Eljay'em hopes that moving forward, the death of a child or really any tragedy takes on more than a hashtag for justice.
"If we don't show up for our children, then who will? And at the end of the day, our babies deserve more than just hashtags. They deserve a community that shows up for them," Eljay'em said. "Unity starts with hello. We're pulling people out of their silos in these neighborhoods and really creating that connection again."
Kareem Smith with the Safety Unit and The Solution said boots on the ground are crucial to this movement.
"I think it's important to create a better support system. The whole community [needs to] create a better support system for the parents, you know, there's no telling what that mother was going through or what the parents was going through," Smith said.
Smith told me he feels like there's a strong sense of community when it comes to partying and sporting events, but that Cleveland lacks it when it comes to creating a positive atmosphere for children.
I asked him how that could be done.
He said it's a simple answer: more meetings and more community events, like Tuesday's.
"Talking about solutions and people finding the time in a busy schedule to invest the time in their community, you know, a lot of times Cleveland is a grassroots hardworking city, so on the weekends we like to let loose and have fun, but we need to start using some of that time to invest back into the community and volunteer some time, you know, to put boots on the ground and canvass the areas," Smith said.
On March 13, The Solution will host a teen night at the Love Project Clubhouse.
"If anybody wanna bring their teen and participate, doors are open," he said.
The next community meeting in Collinwood will be on April 14.
"Because the real impact on community is consistency. We have to continue to show up daily for our community," Eljay'em said. "Channel their anger and their grief because everybody's feeling it right now. Everybody is heartbroken, scared, concerned for their own children. I want to encourage them not to start placing blame, don't fall to speculation or rumors, but really channel that energy into doing something."
According to the Cleveland Division of Police, the woman accused of killing the half-sisters, Aliyah Henderson, has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder. The girls have been identified as 8-year-old Mila Chatman and 10-year-old Amor Wilson, both of Cleveland.
Henderson is being held on a $2 million bond.
