Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 7-12-16 Online Edition

Local
Clergy Addresses Issue Of Deadly Police Encounters
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Within a two-week pe- riod, three African American men died after encounters with sworn police officers in three states.
Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert, of Tupelo, Mis- sissippi, and Philando Castile, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, were shot during traffic stops. Alton Sterling died after an encounter with police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The deadly encounters are not limited to any geographi- cal area and have resulted in people protesting all over the country. Locally, some minis- ters shared their opinions.
Rev. Dr. W. James Fa- vorite, Pastor of Beulah I. B.
REV. DR. JAMES FAVORITE
... President of Pastors
On Patrol
Church said, “It’s a culture that we have literally served over the years. White police shoot Black men because they perceive them as dan- gerous. They have the idea that they must show force and that every Black man
BISHOP THOMAS SCOTT ... Chairman of Tampa Bay Coalition of Clergy
walking or talking is a threat. “It is widely known that every officer who has been in- volved in shooting a Black man has not been charged. So, they don’t hesitate to
shoot.
“The officers need train-
ing because they need to be sensitive of the needs of Blacks to ensure that they are treated fairly. The police need to understand the commu- nity it is serving.
“If they don’t, then they don’t have any type of rela- tionship except in an author- itative role.”
Bishop Thomas Scott,
Chairman of the Tampa Bay Coalition of Clergy said, “Based on what I have seen, while people have the right to exercise their right to protest, there is no real structure or agenda as compared to the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement. I’m not sure they know why they are demon- strating or what they hope to accomplish. They need guid- ance.
“Protesters must have
goals and objectives and they must also make sure that the protesters do not violate the law.”
Bishop Scott further pointed out that during the Civil Rights Movement, the churches were heavily in- volved and the marches had a spiritual leadership which made them more credible.
“When I saw that video of that man dying while his girl- friend was screaming for help, I literally cried. With so- cial media, we are seeing things in real time,” he said.
Bishop Scott also de- nounced the shooting in Dal- las. “That was a horrific incident. Vindictiveness has never gotten us anywhere and violence against anyone is not acceptable.”
St. Petersburg
Residents
Protest Police
Since last week, demonstrations have taken place follow- ing the deaths of two Black men. Both men were killed by po- lice in separate incidents.
This past weekend, about 70 protesters took to the streets of St. Petersburg. Some of the marchers shouted “arrest the police, indict the police.”
The St. Petersburg Police Department monitored the demonstration as it traveled down Martin Luther King, Jr., Street, S.
The march was led by Omali Yeshitela, of the Uhuru Movement. After marching for about 90 minutes, the group returned to the Uhuru House.
Busch Gardens Was Site Of Family Reunion
The Thomas and Hall families gathered at Busch Gardens for their 10th family reunion. (PHOTOS BY JULIA JACKSON)
Enjoying Busch Gardens are Pam Thomas, Jannette Hall, and Burnetta Thomas.
Having a great time at Busch Gardens were: Murphy Thomas, Lennard Thomas, Terry Hall, and Marcus Hall.
Trinea Marcus, Kathy Murry Hall, and Grace Hall enjoyed their day at Busch Gardens.
TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9