Recent police incidents in Ferguson, Mo.., Cleveland, Ohio and Staten Island, N.Y. have sparked a national debate teeming with anger, frustration and a call for better protections afforded African American citizens.
Center City Allentown and neighboring residents came out in full force Monday evening to Union Baptist Church, 302 N. 6th St., Allentown, to voice their concerns during a forum on recent events involving police shootings and brutality entitled "Summit in the Valley."
Senior Pastor of Union Baptist Church Benjamin T. Hailey Sr. told those in attendance the summit is about coming together as one and gearing up for a movement based on change.
"The beginning of this movement is not about an individual, but it is about our community and the Lehigh Valley," he said. "This is the beginning of a movement we believe is going to take time."
The summit's purpose, he said, is to organize the African American community for purposes of reinforcing a sense of community and cohesiveness.
Gregory Edwards, senior pastor of Resurrected Life Community Church, 44 N 9th St., Allentown, said the community must engage in collective action for change to occur.
"We need many folk to put their shoulders to the wheel to bring change to the Lehigh Valley," he said.
During the summit, individuals were split into groups of three where they discussed incidents of past racial hurts, who they considered the greatest leader for racial justice and what is needed to become a better leader, both individually and collectively, for racial justice in the Lehigh Valley.
Also discussed were necessary steps to facilitate change.
Recommendations included education, engagement, embracing the core concepts of social justice, mentoring the younger generation, a better understanding of the laws and the creation of an Allentown Bethlehem Easton National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter.
Allentown City Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald reinforced to the audience change is not immediate. He urged community members to inform the police department of their concerns.
"The only way to change things in this community is to let us know," he said.
Fitzgerald also said under his tenure more officers have been disciplined for bad behavior.
"We take it very seriously," he said.
According to Fitzgerald, less than 25 percent of the police force is of color and less than 10 percent African American.
He urged families to encourage more minorities to inspire to serve in Allentown as police officers.
Phil Davis, senior pastor of Greater Shiloh Church, 403 Pastor Fred Davis St., Easton, urged the community to unite together. By coming together, community voices will become louder and more visible, he said.
Economics, Davis also said, must be utilized to bring the community together by providing job training and working with local community colleges and trade unions.
Pastor David Jones, senior pastor of New Vision Church, Bethlehem, said recent statistics reveal a sharp decline in African American participation in the voting process.
"We are not irrelevant because we are black," Jones said. "We are irrelevant because we won't vote."
He directed residents to get involved in the political system.
"If we vote, we can determine our future and our destiny," Jones said.
According to Hailey, Monday's meeting was the first of a handful.
"We are on our way," he said.
from 69News:Home http://ift.tt/1wVyxCm
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire