Skip to main content

Solidarity Sunday in Newark--March for Peace






It was cold and wet today in Newark. Yet the Solidarity Sunday March for Hope and Peace went on as scheduled as people gathered under umbrellas at City Hall and walked in groups to Lincoln Park for the rally. Ministers, Street Warriors, representatives of community-based organizations and associations, and local political leaders had their turn to speak out about how best to end the violence in the city; and soloists and choirs sang in the rain. Before the event concluded, at least 500 people showed up from the city and the suburbs as an act of solidarity and the spirit of Hope and Peace.

What follows is Dave Kerr's report on the event:

One way to look at Solidarity is simple: what can do in love for others. There are problems but let's not spend a lot of time finding out who is at fault. First, let's help the one who is hurt and work together in solidarity to prevent the problem from happening again and hurting others. Let's work to heal rather than hurt. Let's start with the child who is hungry and feed him. Let's start with the family who's homeless and find them shelter. Let's start with the stranger and take her in. Let's come to those in prison and show them the way out.

In spite of constant rain, wind and cold weather, marchers walked down Broad St. from City Hall, led by the responsive chanting of Pastor Bernard Wilks. Pastors Darlene Reynolds, Reggie Osborne, Pam Jones, David Jefferson, Bill Howard and Jethro James showed their passion and leadership to the crowd about the need to come together as a people and bring hope and real help to the many in need in our City. Community advocates Donna Jackson, Earl Best (Street Doctor) and El-Amin delivered fiery talks about the need for all of us to get out of our comfort zones and work directly with people in 'the streets' who need our help.

Faith-based activists and community leaders joined Solidarity Sunday participants, some 500 in number, in singing 'Let There Be Peace On Earth and Let it Begin With Me.' World Famous Opera Singer Kevin Maynor led the singing with 'There is a Balm in Gilead.' Souls of Integrity Choir sang Sam Cook's 'A Change is Going to Come.'

Many of our political and government leaders were there, including Council President Mildred Crump, Deputy Mayor Deen Shareef, Senator Teresa Ruiz, Assemblywoman Grace Spencer and Assemblyman Al Coutinho. Many other faith-based leaders were there also including Robert Morris, Mark Beckwith, Deirdre Malloy, Tanya Bennett, and Michael Christensen--all from the Newark Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Hope. Mayor Cory Booker sent a note wishing us well and pledging his full support for Solidarity Sunday even though he could not attend.

Solidarity Sunday was just the beginning. There will be a follow up discussion of Solidarity at our next Bridge Breakfast on December 18th at the Robert Treat Center at 8am.

David H. Kerr
Founder and President
Integrity House
103 Lincoln Park
PO Box 510
Newark, NJ 07102
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Let the River Flow: Why WorldHope Corps digs village wells

  Sunday Sermon at the The Water's Edge in OB , San Diego, CA. "Woman at the Well" (John 4:7-15) When you think about the gospel story of the Samaritan woman with Jesus at Jacob’s well, I’d like you to picture this Woman at a similar well in northern Malawi. Sitting and talking with Pastor Dennis Singini about water. Her name is Nyang'oma, which means "drum." Her Christian name is Mary Botha. She is 85 years old and lives in a village in the Kampenda area of Northern Malawi. She has cared for 11 children, two of whom have died. And her husband has died. When Dennis and I first met Mary in 2008, her village did not have a deep well or access to clean water. Nor did the six surrounding villages with over 1,500 people. Women and children had to drink with animals from shallow seasonal wells or walk about of 5km away to drink from the closest stream. Sometimes they would get sick and complain of stomach aches. Cholera and dysentery were widespread, and m...
Read more

Not Afraid of Death by Julia Esquivel

In reading your blog, Michael, I immediately think of these two poems is poem by Julia Esquivel, from Guatemala, whom I had the pleasure of meeting years ago.  Un abrazo, Ada Maria I AM NOT AFRAID OF DEATH I am no longer afraid of death I know well Its dark and cold corridors Leading to life. I am afraid rather of that life Which does not come out of death, Which cramps our hands And slows our march. I am afraid of my fear And even more of the fear of others, Who do not know where they are going, Who continue clinging To what they think is life Which we know to be death! I live each day to kill death; I die each day to give birth to life, And in this death of death, I die a thousand times And am reborn another thousand Through that love From my People Which nourishes hope! THREATEN WITH RESURRECTION They have threatened us with Resurrection There is something here within us which doesn’t let us sleep, which doesn’t let us rest, which doesn’t stop the pounding deep inside. It is t...
Read more

Twelve New Wells in Malawi in 2012

New Well for Mayaka UMC sponsored by Church of the Resurrection  Villagers in Zomba Mayaka wait their turn for clean water from COR well. WorldHope Corps, Inc. succeeded in drilling 12 new villages wells in 2012, including three for Church of the Resurrection in Leewood, KS; two for World Childrens Fund in San Jose, CA, one for Helen Ford in Ocean Grove, NJ; one for Pittman Presbyterian Church in NJ; and five for local sponsors in Malawi. From 2007-2011, WorldHope Corps drilled a total of 18 wells in northern Malawi by hiring borehole drillers from the southern Malawi.  In April, 2012, we acquired our own well rig and equipment, hired our own crew, and learned how to drill wells ourselves. By the end of 2012, we had drilled 12 new wells for a total of 30 wells since 2007!  Over 50,000 villages now can drink clean, fresh, safe water and not get sick from water borne diseases.  For this we praise God! For 2013, we have 2 more boreholes to drill for Unite...
Read more