In June, New York MFSA hosted an online forum in response to the murder of George Floyd and other instances of police violence against persons of color.  Titled, “Whose Streets? Police, Race and (In)Justice,” the forum featured a presentation by the Rev. Fred Davie, Executive Vice President of Union Theological Seminary in New York and Chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board.  Rev. Davie offered an in depth look at the mission and challenges of the CCRB, avenues to police reform, and what defunding the police might look like.  The fifty-one participants included church members from around the New York Annual Conference, along with Bishop Thomas Bickerton and several members of the NYAC Cabinet. 

Coming out of that evening, the Bishop has asked our chapter to develop guidelines to help churches engage with their local police departments to heighten accountability and sensitivity to racial justice.  Our goal is to develop a toolkit for churches and their leaders to build relationships with local police departments, intensify community engagement that would lessen the need for policing, and engage in greater community oversight of police interactions with people of color.

Click Here to Watch the Online Forum, "Whose Streets? Police, Race, and (In)Justice."