Fayetteville discussion to center on Tyre Nichols' death. Want to join? Here's what to know.
The Fayetteville Observer joins community groups and members of the public Saturday for a discussion stemming from the beating death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, at the hands of Memphis police officers.
Police body camera footage released by the department that shows the events leading up to and surrounding Nichols' has sparked ire and protests across the country. Seven officers have been relieved of duty in connection to his death, and five of them face second-degree murder charges.
Community Conversations: A Panel Discussion is from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at Rowan Skate Center, 725 W. Rowan St., according to event organizer Rakeem "Keem" Jones, co-founder of Cora's Community Foundation, freelance documentarian and Observer columnist. The discussion is sponsored by Keem Jones Content Collection, Cora's Community Foundation, The Fayetteville Observer and Rowan Skate Center.
It is preceded at 11 a.m. by a procession of skateboarders, in memory of Nichols, from the Market House to the skate center. Nichols was known as an avid skateboarder.
"This in itself is not a protest," Terry Grimble, owner of DaVille Skate Shop and organizer of the procession, said in a statement. "This is a ride for the skateboarding community to do something that we believe Tyre would love. It is to celebrate his spirit, life, & love. The entire world is angry and they have every right to be. We are not asking people to not protest, however, we want to make sure that Tyre's life is remembered for what it was, not for how it tragically ended. We would like every skater to ride with us in unity on February 11th starting at the Market House in downtown Fayetteville & ending at Rowan Skate Park. Please remember that Tyre's mother has asked that this be done peacefully."
Community discussion
The discussion, which will be moderated by Observer opinion editor Myron Pitts and include audience participation, is intended to serve as a safe space to "have the uncomfortable, yet necessary, dialogue in an effort to move forward as a community," Jones said.
The order of events is as follows:
Noon-12:15 p.m.: Welcome, introductions and moment of silence
12:15-12:45 p.m.: Thoughts and reactions to videos showing Nichols' death
12:45-1:15 p.m.: Did race affect the implementation of justice in Nichols' case?
1:15-1:45 p.m.: Mindset of the Black community moving forward
1:45-2 p.m.: Closing remarks
Confirmed panelists, in addition to Jones, include:
• Mario "Be" Benavente, Fayetteville City Council member representing District 3
• Kevin Brooks, founder of the Group Theory and the Prove Project
• Tony U. Brown, CEO of Southern CC Inc.
• Dr. Matthew Fogg, retired chief deputy U.S. marshal; CNN and MSNBC law enforcement analyst; and author of "Bigots with Badges"
• Shaun McMillan, community advocate and co-founder of Fayetteville Police Accountability Community Taskforce
• Archbishop J. Antoine Miner Sr., executive director of EMPACT One Foundation
• Christian Mosley, host of Berean Talk and co-founder of Cora's Community Foundation
• Troy Williams, Observer columnist, legal analyst and criminal defense investigator
• Lillian Glass, via Zoom, body language expert and filmmaker of "De-Escalation"
The discussion is open to the public. Because of limited seating, attendees are asked to RSVP at eventbrite.com/e/community-conversations-a-panel-discussion-tickets-532269100207. Those unable to attend in person can watch a livestream of the discussion on the Observer's Facebook page, @fayobserver.
For more information, call 910-709-0826.
News director Beth Hutson can be reached at bhutson@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Tyre Nichols' death to be focus of Fayetteville discussion
