'Enough is enough': Phoenix Black community expresses outrage over police shootings
As the nation reacted to videos depicting police shooting and killing black men in Louisiana and Minnesota this week, Phoenix community members packed a downtown church, saying over and over, "Enough is enough."
On Thursday, the First Institutional Baptist Church was full of members of the Phoenix community furious over the police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Pastors and community members stood, sometimes yelling over others to express their rage.
"We stand to seek justice together," said Pastor Warren H. Stewart Jr., rally organizer and activist. "Independence is only for a certain few ... We do demand justice and accountability. You cannot lie when we have it on video."
The recent shootings have given additional weight to Phoenix's search for a new police chief and the Phoenix City Council's approval of a budget that includes $5 million to roll out body cameras for officers.
"We are holding this Police Department in the city of Phoenix accountable," Stewart said. "We have another police chief that is said to be hired here in Phoenix, and we do not want something happening in our city."
The Phoenix city manager is expected to announce a new police chief in July to replace Joe Yahner. The three finalists for Phoenix police chief appeared in a public forum in June. They are Washington, D.C., Assistant Chief Peter Newsham, Phoenix police Assistant Chief Mike Kurtenbach and Oxnard, Calif., Police Chief Jeri Williams, a onetime assistant chief in Phoenix.
"It is imperative that city leaders understand we need a police chief who will train and oversee a department that upholds the standard of justice for all — African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans — all races and creeds deserve to be treated fairly, justly and with dignity," said Tracy Nicolle Thomton-Lewis, First Institutional Baptist Church spokeswoman, in a statement.
Racial profiling called 'the norm'
Stewart's father, Warren H. Stewart Sr., senior pastor of the First Institutional Baptist Church, said racism continues to infect police and sheriff departments.
"Making racial profiling of black men and women has become the norm," he said. "The most recent police shootings, killings in Louisiana and Minnesota, tragically have confirmed my worst fears once again. When will the powers that beam from the White House to the jailhouse effectively address the issue or do something about it instead of only making nice little statements after a black man or black woman is killed?"
Community members voiced frustration, saying several meetings are scheduled over the next few days to hear the concerns of the African-American community, but no one has presented any solutions. The meetings are other rallies and platforms for people to ask questions, voice their opinions and stand together. Many in the church said the community should hold only one meeting to answer all questions, provide solutions and start doing something.
As leaders in the community stood before the crowd, many people pleaded for their voices to be heard, particularly several women in the crowd who said community leaders weren't taking the time to listen to women's concerns.
Carolyn Lowery, 76, said it was her birthday, but she chose to show up to the First Institutional Baptist Church to talk about solutions.
"If you men don't want to do something about it, get out of the way and let us women take over," Lowery said.
Lowery said women's children and husbands have been killed and that it is going to take more than men to fix anything. Lowery is a member of the Arizona Black United Fund and said she helps to spread the message to "stop police brutality."
Theresa Tanner-White agreed with Lowery and stood to speak about the importance of encouraging men and women to become leaders in the community, including becoming police officers and attorneys.
"We gotta stop pumping and prodding our children to be basketball players and football players and start recognizing them to be 'Hey you want to be a police officer, let's help you be a police officer... Ma'am you want to be a lawyer? Let's help you go to law school,' " Tanner-White said.
She said she's tired, and although she thought the rally was a beautiful thought, she said it was a repeat of past meetings without any solutions.
"We are tired of hearing the same thing with another person's name attached," Tanner-White said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Enough is enough': Phoenix black community expresses outrage over police shootings
