by Tim Walters

   (Plain Press October 2026) In September’s issue of the Plain Press, we introduced Moral Mondays. This is a concept put into place by Dr. William Barber, President of Repairers of the Breach headquartered in Washington, D.C. These are nonviolent protest actions focused on opposing war, poverty, voter suppression and other policy injustices. Begun in Washington, D.C., they have expanded to over 200 cities since the beginning of this year including Cleveland.

   As our November Election moves closer, Repairers of the Breach continues to expand the Moral Mondays’ protests and marches. It calls on more people to come together in their precincts, cities, counties and church basements in every state where an effort is in place to make it harder to vote and to discourage citizens from doing so.

   Northeast Ohio Division of Repairers of the Breach was one of the first to respond to this call beginning with a February protest and has continued this effort each month since. Most recently they gathered on September 14 at noon at the Old Stone Church on Public Square. After listening to a personal witness and raising a collective voice in prayer and song, they marched to the Federal Building at 9th and Lakeside. There a coalition delivered a message to Senator Husted’s Cleveland office. We delivered previous messages to the office of Senator Marino.

   We will march again on Saturday, October 12th. Join us at noon in front of the Bishop Cosgrove Center at 1736 Superior Avenue. We will hear from some individuals directly affected by the actions of President Donald J. Trump’s administration. We will march from there to the Board of Elections.

   We are calling for: ending immoral war; protecting and expanding voting rights; ensuring health care and living wages; protecting our immigrant communities; and guaranteeing equal protection under the law.

   As always, the protests have included those directly affected by the many changes of the past two years as well as a coffin representing the countless deaths that have occurred in Ohio and right here in Cuyahoga County.

   We, and the entire Repairers of the Breach Coalition, are calling on all of us across this country to mobilize, educate, march and most importantly to vote. With less than 40 days until November’s midterm elections, faith leaders from all beliefs will mobilize 1,000 marches to encourage early voting and participation in the Nov. 3 elections.