Sunday, January 4, 2015 - 2:00pm to 2:30pm
Freedom Corner (Corner of Crawford and Centre Avenue)
The Hill District Ministers Alliance (HDMA) will hold a "Prayer and Justice" Rally at Freedom Corner (Centre Ave. & Crawford St.) at 2:00 p.m., in Pittsburgh's Hill District on Sunday, January 4, 2015 to pray for God's blessing and healing upon our nation and to gather in non-violent demonstration of the recent non-verdicts by Grand Juries across our country. As we transition into the New Year, with one prophetic voice, the rally is a collective effort to bring people together who have a conviction to pray over the city of Pittsburgh and address the safety and policing concerns of the African American community. This Rally will convene as members of Hill District churches march down Centre Avenue and join in solidarity and pray for National and World Peace, Federal and Local Governments, and Human and Civil Rights. We will cry out to God and appeal to city officials for community safety.
During the Rally, Pastors will address such community concerns and make demands of local officials (Mayor Peduto and Chief of Police McClay) and leaders concerning:
- police community sensitivity training that includes African American leadership in the training
- a Pittsburgh Police force that reflects racially and proportionately the community in which the officers serve with an overall increase in the number of African Americans on the Pittsburgh Police force
- a broader conversation with the African American community's leadership to further discuss solutions to:
* poverty and income inequality which couples with it the Commonwealth's efforts to reduce unemployyment and poverty among the State's minority population.
* the equitable allocation of public dollars for community and economic development.
* the high degree of incarceration of African Americans
For more information, contact Rev. Victor J. Grigsby @ 412-566-1437