Nov. 21, 2017

Today’s Forum opened with with longtime Charlotte and North Carolina organizer Robert Dawkins outlining improvements to the law and administrative rules governing Charlotte’s police review board. Then he launched into background on Charlotte’s growing-but-not-as-bad-as-it-used-to-be homicide rate. He distributed this paper pre-survey and collected the results to help guide the writing of an upcoming larger survey on the issue.

The session ended with four members of Charlotte City Council weighing in on the issues, and then answering Forum participants’ questions.

Dawkins’ presentation begins at minute 12:36. He began answering questions at minute 39:48. The Council members joined the panel at minute 58:38.

First-time Forum participant The Rev. Chip Edens, rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Myers Park, offered this prayer when invited to open the Forum:

“Gracious God, you are a God of love and a God of justice, and we thank you for your presence and your power. Father, we are aware of the deep needs of our city, but we are also aware of your grace and your capacity to enter into our hearts and to give us a spirit of solidarity. So move among us and strengthen us as we work toward building a city of justice and equity and opportunity for all people. Amen.”