Thousands of events are included in the largest police-community outreach effort in U.S. history
ATLANTA, Oct. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- National civil rights organization MovementForward, Inc. and America's most powerful law enforcement groups and local agencies, are proud to announce National Faith & Blue Weekend 2022 (Faith & Blue), set to run today, Friday, October 7 through Monday, October 10, 2022. The mission of Faith & Blue is to facilitate safer, stronger, and more unified communities by connecting law enforcement officers and residents through the expansive reach of faith-based organizations in local communities.
This is the 3rd annual National Faith & Blue Weekend, and it has become the largest and most consolidated police-community outreach effort in U.S. history. There are approximately 3,000 engagements happening in all 50 states nationwide.
These 3,000 engagements will be amplified by eight "Marquee Events" occurring throughout the nation. These events are:
- Friday, October 7: Opening Ceremony, Walk, and Field Day, 9:30am-1:00pm - Our Lady of Perpetual Help – 1600 Morris Road, SE, Washington, DC, 20020 – Hosted by the Metropolitan (DC) Police Department
- Friday, October 7: Community Celebration, 1:00pm-6:00pm - Times Square – Broadway and 47th Street, New York, NY, 10036 – Hosted by the New York City Police Department
- Friday, October 7: Gospel Concert, 7:00pm-9:00pm - Christian Fellowship MB Church – 445 W 119th Street, Chicago, IL 60628 – Hosted by the Chicago Police Department
- Saturday, October 8: Community Conversation, 9:30am-12:00pm - Saint Bernadette Catholic Church –3285 Don Felipe Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90008 – Hosted by the Los Angeles Police Department
- Saturday, October 8: Community Conversation, 12:00pm-1:00pm - Destiny Pointe Christian Center – 2350 E Mayfield Rd. Arlington, TX 76014 – Hosted by the Arlington Police Department
- Sunday, October 9: Community Conversation: 1:00pm-3:00pm - First Congregational United Church of Christ – 105 Courtland Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30303 – Hosted by the Atlanta Police Department
- Sunday, October 9: Youth Dialogue, Philadelphia, PA, 3:00pm-5:00pm - St. Barnabas Mission – 6006 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151 – Hosted by the Philadelphia Police Department
- Monday, October 10: Music Festival and Closing Ceremony, 4:00pm-7:00pm - Lawn on D - 420 D Street, Boston, MA 02210 – Hosted by the Boston Police Department
The national event will officially kick off in Washington, D.C. this morning with MovementForward CEO and Faith & Blue lead organizer Rev. Markel Hutchins, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee, other law enforcement officials, and prominent religious and community leaders taking part in a special opening ceremony, community field day, and faith walk. This afternoon (Friday, Oct. 7), NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell and other police officials will be joined Rev. Hutchins for a marquee event in New York City's Times Square. Other key events will follow in Los Angeles, Arlington (TX), Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia and will wrap up on Monday, October 10th in Boston where Rev. Hutchins and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox will be joined by Catholic Cardinal Patrick O'Malley.
During Faith & Blue, law enforcement agencies across the United States will team up with local faith-based and other community organizations to host public activities focused on repairing and strengthening the bond between communities and those that protect them. The activities include forums and town halls, crime reduction briefings, peace and unity walks, marches, picnics, athletic events, vigils, and other activities that foster an environment of problem-solving, resolution, and reconciliation.
Faith & Blue is a non-partisan, non-sectarian effort aimed at increasing cooperation, breaking down biases, and building bridges between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This critical effort comes amid historic rises in crime nationally and on the heels of high-profile controversial events involving police.
Faith & Blue is co-convened by MovementForward, Inc., an inclusive social change organization working to protect, promote, and advance civil and human rights, and the United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
"As most of the nation knows, we've seen enormous strains in the relationship between law enforcement and communities over the past several years," says Rev. Hutchins. "Marches and protests are not doing enough to curb the issues or open up the much-needed dialogue between communities and the police officers sworn to protect them." The noted civil rights leader continued, "the pathway to success is collaborative efforts."
In its inaugural year of 2020, Faith & Blue facilitated 1,000 community-led activities in 43 states and the District of Columbia. In the second year, Faith & Blue 2021 doubled to more than 2,000 engagements across all 50 states. Rev. Hutchins says the compounded stresses of historic rises in crime, the growing frequency of mass shootings, and the recent perilous strains on police-community relations across the country have brought about a critical need to strengthen connections with local law enforcement through solutions-focused partnerships in every neighborhood in America.
For more information about National Faith & Blue Weekend, or to find an event near you, visit http://www.faithandblue.org.
ABOUT NATIONAL FAITH & BLUE WEEKEND
Sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T and the Motorola Solutions Foundation, National Faith & Blue Weekend (Faith & Blue) is a collaborative initiative that builds bridges and breaks down biases through activities and outreach amongst law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve. Faith & Blue is based on the premise that strong communities are built on mutual respect and understanding. Law enforcement entities and faith-based organizations are both key pillars of local communities, and when they work together, neighborhoods thrive. Faith & Blue is a nationalization of the One Congregation One Precinct initiative (OneCOP), a program of MovementForward, Inc. which is a solutions-focused, social change organization based in Atlanta, Georgia led by noted human and civil rights leader, the Rev. Markel Hutchins. Faith & Blue organizers represent every major national law enforcement group and faith tradition in the United States of America. Visit National Faith & Blue Weekend at http://www.faithandblue.org or connect via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. #FaithAndBlue #FaithAndBlue2022
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SOURCE Faith & Blue
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