On Saturday, December 8, CJPC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove joined Rev. Curtis E. Gatewood, President & Founder for JUSTICE Ministration and the Stop Killing Us (SKU) Solutions Campaign and other community activists and families of police violence victims for a “Uniting the Streets” gathering in Durham (both pictured above). Together, stories were shared, songs were offered, and the gathered group strategized on how best to further their three-part mission. CJPC is excited to be offering their support and expertise for the Durham arm of SKU, who are advocating for:

  1. Rebuilding the collective village which raises and protects its children as an extended family.
  2. Educate the community on the extent of the crisis; provide a “people’s platform” which can inform the community on pending cases and impacted families remaining in need of attention and support; and present proven methods; elevate calls for unity, action, and other positive change which can drastically reduce death rates.
  3. Build grassroots enthusiasm and unity needed for systemic change; for ongoing networking and to fearlessly resume the unfinished business of using faith, law, constitution, organization, prayer, courage, and tireless good works to remove the mountains of black oppression and systemic injustices (i.e., education inequities, forced poverty economic/gentrification injustice, the lack of health care, vicious cycle of street deaths/crime, and the total disregard for equal protection under the laws).

The group was also focused on seeking justice in the case of DeAndre Ballard, an North Carolina Central University (NCCU) senior who was shot unarmed by a security guard at an off-campus student apartment complex during September.  Authorities did not notify Ballard’s family for three days; the security guard’s name has still not been released; no arrests have been made; the shooter remains employed by NC Detective Agency security firm.