Next, the candidates were asked to move to a different room to hear the law enforcement message. Until then, they had not been identified in front of the community. Now they had to stand up in front of 300 revved up community members and walk to the law enforcement meeting. It had to be one of the longest walks they ever took.
Rev. K. Edward Copeland, Pastor, New Zion Missionary Baptist Church
Rev. K. Edward Copeland is a Pastor at the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
We decided to meet at St. Paul Lutheran Church, which was in the target neighborhood and was known as a safe place and a church that cared for the neighborhood. We used its gym as well as other, smaller rooms.
First, we brought everyone—law enforcement, other government representatives, social services, community members, and the call-in candidates and their family members or other influentials—together in the gym. At that point, the candidates were mixed in with the community. We had community members, including affected mothers, stand up and speak about the impact of the drug market.
Next, the candidates were asked to move to a different room to hear the law enforcement message. Until then, they had not been identified in front of the community. Now they had to stand up in front of 300 revved up community members and walk to the law enforcement meeting. It had to be one of the longest walks they ever took.
While the candidates were meeting with law enforcement, city service representatives (e.g., police, fire, alderman, and the mayor) stayed in the gym and held a spontaneous meeting with the community, talking about fixing up the neighborhood.
When the candidates left the law enforcement presentation, they were all crying from shame. They next met with social services in yet another room.
When they emerged from their social services meeting, some of them encountered community members who were still on-site. Those community members cheered them on and said, “If you do right, we’ll stand behind you.”
