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Bishop E.W. Jackson Calls for Pastors to Lead Racial Reconciliation Effort in Aftermath of Nationwide Riots Related to Ferguson Decision

Contact: Sandy Adams, 757-375-6444, sandy@standamerica.us; Martin Brown, 804-874-6706, martin@standamerica.us; both with S.T.A.N.D.

NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 26, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Bishop E.W. Jackson, for Candidate for Lt. Governor of Virginia, visited Ferguson during the initial protests and riots. He introduced a Seven Point Plan for avoiding such incidents in the future.

  1. Establish the procedure for calling an emergency meeting when racial incidents occur.
     
  2. Hold that meeting within 24 to 48 hours of an incident to give residents an outlet to express themselves to leaders and public officials.
     
  3. Develop constructive ways to address the problem and prevent rioting.
     
  4. Have Law enforcement, Pastors and community leaders together reassure the community that responses to disorder will be swift, but proportionate.
     
  5. Hold a follow up community meeting within forty-eight hours after the first, and as often as necessary until tension has dissipated.
     
  6. Hold joint press conferences with Pastors, community leaders and law enforcement to show unity.
     
  7. Exclude outsiders from speaking publicly at meetings or press conferences.

Jackson is now calling for a racial reconciliation effort in churches, black and white to bring forgiveness, healing and the grace of God.

"Part of the problem," says The Bishop, "is that the black community is trapped by the past. Eric Holder compared the Michael Brown case to the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, a 14 year old boy who was tortured and murdered for allegedly speaking to a white woman.  Michael Brown is not Emmett Till. Officer Darren Wilson is not a member of the KKK, and Al Sharpton is definitely not Martin Luther King Jr.

"It is ridiculous that on the day before Thanksgiving there are riots and disruptive protests in 100 cities across America over the Ferguson Grand Jury decision, which was supported by six or seven black witnesses. And it has to be one of history's greatest ironies that black Americans are protesting racism with a black President and Attorney General who have been in office for six years."

Jackson is re-releasing his Seven Point Plan to ministers around the country, and will return to Ferguson to work with ministers there once things have settled down.

E.W. Jackson, a Marine Corps Veteran and graduate of Harvard Law School was the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor of Virginia in 2013 and currently serves as President of STAND and Bishop of Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, VA.