Mount Zion AME Church, 222 South Fifth Street in Columbia, was filled on Thursday evening, but not for a church service. About 100 people showed up to participate in a "Town Hall" meeting aimed at finding solutions to incidents of violence between law enforcement and civilians.
Attendees were divided into eight groups and instructed to discuss their feelings and solutions. Afterwards, a spokesperson from each group went forward to read a summary of the discussion.
One group of eight people was led by Sandra Thompson, president of the York Branch NAACP. Thompson, an attorney, is also First Vice President Pennsylvania NAACP. This was a diverse group in race, gender and occupation, with a probation officer, chaplain, social worker, nurse, attorney, and a student among them.
Teenage student Zahara Flowers attended with her father, Jabari Smith. They live in Lancaster. Smith said that he was beaten by police when he was 14 years old. He was hospitalized - in part due to facial injuries from being dragged back and forth on the ground. No charges were filed against the police or him.
Smith expressed concern for his two sons, even though they stand 6'5" and 6'3". Their sister Zahara echoed his concern, saying she worries about them when they go out at night.
Many of the same worries and frustrations were discussed in the other groups.
Three members of borough council, Pam Williams, Fran Fitzgerald and John Novak, were also present and participated in the group discussions. Mayor Leo Lutz, it was announced, is currently on vacation.
Damian Colon, a youth leader of "My Life Matters," mentors young people ages 10-17. One man praised Damian's work, saying, "We need a lot more Damians in our neighborhoods."
Feelings expressed:
*One person said that law enforcement is being infiltrated by white supremacists, adding that the Thirteenth Amendment allows slavery. While it actually abolished slavery, the clause afterward reads EXCEPT as punishment for a crime.
*A black man expressed his frustration, saying he feels as if the system is corrupt, in that it hands over people to be incarcerated for minor crimes, adding, "There are people making money off of doing this."
*Another wants his four grandsons to feel comfortable approaching officers, but said that he himself, "Isn't there yet."
*Respect for elders has been lost.
*Some kids are raising their parents and never get to experience childhood, which leads to rage.
*Some felt fear for their children, saying they are walking, living targets.
Suggested Solutions:
*The idea of officers walking the neighborhoods and interacting with young people was brought up more than once.
*De-escalation and diversity training for police.
*Monitor social media, because it plays a large part in what's going on.
*Ride-alongs with officers.
The AME Church will post the complete list of solutions discussed at the meeting on its website. There will be another discussion in a few weeks, but a specific date was not given.
In closing, it was said that Columbia has responded well and can be an example for other communities.
