ST. LOUIS, Dec. 1, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Crowd seeks action by new county executive.
Youth will perform Ferguson-inspired raps & skits
Clergy from California & New York will speak
They'll tell how community policing & restorative justice work
Ministers will deliver petition urging "debtors' prison" reform
Group also calls for more and better "community policing" to prevent abuses
What: Roughly 100 people – including young local activists, out-of-state clergy and veteran community activists - will hear
Ferguson-inspired raps, chants and skits,
Justice-focused prayer and songs by clergy, and
testimony from Oakland and Buffalo leaders about how community policing and high school restorative justice programs are reducing police shootings and school conflicts
They will also present a petition to newly-elected head of St. Louis County government calling on him to take two specific steps to help prevent future Ferguson-like eruptions.
When: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 4:30pm
Where: The corner of Maryland and Central in Clayton. (Parking is available at the Municipal lot at the corner of Central and Maryland.)
Who: Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) is a coalition of interfaith leaders who are Christian (AME, Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ among others), Jewish, Unitarian, and members of the Ethical Society. It is an affiliate of Gamaliel, the Chicago-based network where President Obama once worked as a community organizer.
Background: The group is urging County Executive Steve Stenger to 1) start or increase community policing procedures throughout the county, and 2) reform the 'debtor prison system' which traps low-income people and people of color in prison for minor traffic violations. The group will hand-deliver a petition to Stenger either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.
A copy of it is here.
Gamaliel's mission is to empower ordinary people to effectively participate in the political, environmental, social and economic decisions affecting their lives. Gamaliel's diverse members apply their faith and values to the pursuit of equal opportunity for all, shared abundance, and stronger, more prosperous communities.
Members of the United Congregations of the Metro East from Illinois will also participate.
