Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 6-12-20

Feature
Over 100 Black Clergy Meet To Pray And Plan A March To City Hall On Saturday
The members of the Black Clergy were among the ministers who attended a strategy meeting last Sunday, June 7th, at New Mt. Zion M. B. Church. (Photo by Julia Jackson)
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Prayer. Position. Plan- ning. That was the order of business at a gathering Sun- day of more than 100 Black clergy throughout Hillsbor- ough County.
The meeting was in re- sponse to the array of protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black Minneapolis man who died
after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds..
That officer, Derek Chauvin, faces second-de- gree murder charges and is in jail on a $1.3 million bond.
By the end of the roughly two-hour meeting at New Mount Zion Missionary Bap- tist Church, the group had prayed for the protestors and the city, voted on an open let- ter to elected officials, and
planned a march for this Sat- urday.
That event will begin at 2 p. m. from Allen Temple A. M. E. Church in Ybor and end downtown at City Hall.
In the letter, the group of clergy expressed that it “stands in complete solidar- ity with the peaceful protes- tors who have chosen to use their fundamental right to free speech and assembly to draw attention to the im-
moral sins of hatred, racism and police brutality in the United States of America.”
The letter also con- demned the use of projectiles against protestors, called for increased transparency be- tween elected officials and the community regarding use of force against protes- tors, and demanded that ar- rested peaceful protestors be released and their charges dropped.
The group also requested a meeting with elected offi- cials next Monday.
“Failure to respond by Thursday, June 11, 2020 may result in an adjusted strategy collectively from the Tampa Area Black Clergy,” accord- ing to the letter that was sig- ned by nearly 50 ministers.
The meeting’s organizer,
Rev. Larry Roundtree, II
– who also is the pastor of New Mount Zion – cautioned that Black clergy coming to- gether was not the start of a new organization, but rather, a show of unity and support.
“Right now, we’re here to deal with an urgent issue...
and show a unified re- sponse,” he said.
Bishop Thomas Scott,
pastor of 34th Street Church of God, and a candidate for County Commission, concu- rred.
“We care about what’s going on in our community right now,” he said. “The people can see we can come together as leaders.”
But after the meetings, there needs to be action and that’s why the march is im- portant, Rev. Roundtree said.
He encouraged the pas- tors to rally their congrega- tions to come out on Saturday.
“We need everyone to come out and support the march,” Rev. Roundtree said.
If You Go
What: Black Clergy March
When: Saturday, June 13 at 2 P. M.
Where: Beginning at Allen Temple A. M. E. Church, 2101 N. Lowe St., ending downtown at City Hall.
PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2020