Press release from Southerners On New Ground:
“As people of conscience in the South, we have a moral and spiritual mandate to defend Black community members who are being rounded up, harassed, and killed at the hands of police.”
Asheville, NC– On Thursday members of Southerners On New Ground, the largest grassroots LGBTQ organization in the South, people of faith, and other community allies will host a funeral procession outside the Billy Graham Center in Asheville, a right-wing Christian Evangelical institution in the South, where hundreds of law enforcement officials from across the country are being hosted for a retreat. Activists will be using the funeral procession to honor some of the over 700 people who have died at the hands of police in 2016 including Jerry Williams in Asheville and Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte.
Members of Southerners On New Ground and people of faith from across North Carolina will use the event to raise awareness that Black people are 2.5 times more likely than white people to be killed by police as part of their ongoing “Free From Fear” campaign to protest state violence and criminalization of people of color, poor people, LGBTQ people and immigrants.
WHO:
Members of Southerners On New Ground, people of faith, community activists
WHAT: Funeral Procession and Speak Out outside the National Law Enforcement Retreat at the Billy Graham Center
WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, October 27 | 10:00am EST 1 Porters Cove Rd, Asheville, NC 28805
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.