YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The annual Nonviolence Week celebration will take place Oct. 5-10 with a variety of events.

The goal is to highlight the importance of peace, equality and justice while engaging the community through art, history and dialog.

The event, now in its 15th year, will kick off Sunday, Oct. 5, with a parade and rally. The parade will step off at 3 p.m. at the intersection of Wick Avenue and Wood Street, downtown.

It will be followed by a rally at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre.

Community members are invited to march in solidarity in the parade, and then gather for the rally to promote peace and unity.

Nonviolence Week is a statewide event, launched in 2013 by Gov. John Kasich.

It began in Youngstown when students from Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past petitioned city and county leaders to establish a week dedicated to nonviolence.

Today, it continues to grow as a statewide initiative fostering peace and justice.

Here is the rest of the schedule:

  • Oct. 6: “Mingle With Minni,” 5 p.m. at Flambeau’s restaurant, 2308 Market St. Minnijean Brown Trickey, a member of the historic “Little Rock Nine,” will be present and will share her experiences with desegregation and the fight for equality. Proceeds will benefit Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past, which each year takes local students on an immersive journey to Civil Rights landmarks.
  • Oct. 7: Simeon Booker Award for Courage ceremony, 7 p.m. at Tyler History Center, 325 W. Federal St., downtown (reception at 5:30 p.m.). Honorees will be Joanne Bland, national award recipient; and Gary and Cindy Koerth of Glenwood Grounds coffee shop, the local recipients. This award honors the legacy of journalist Simeon Booker, a Youngstown native whose pioneering Civil Rights-era reporting unified the fight for justice.
  • Oct. 8: Art and Poetry Reception, 5 p.m., Main Library, 305 Wick Ave. Winning entries from the Nonviolence Art and Poetry Contest will be displayed and celebrated.
  • Oct. 9: Speak Your Peace: Spoken Word Poetry reading, 6 p.m. at St. John’s Episcoal Church, 323 Wick Ave. Local students in grades six through 12 will perform original spoken-word pieces inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Principles of Nonviolence. Prizes will be awarded.
  • Oct. 10: Nonviolence Reading Challenge panel and luncheon, noon, YWCA, 25 W. Rayen Ave. A panel discussion featuring Minnijean Brown Trickey and Rev. Joseph Boyd, moderated by Rev. Jon Paul Robles. A light luncheon will be served.
  • Oct 10: Art of Emotion (kindergarten through sixth grade), 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Jewish Community Center, 505 Gypsy Lane. A special youth-focused program exploring nonviolence through creativity.

Pictured at top: Participants in a past Ohio Nonviolence Week parade in downtown Youngstown.