COLUMBIA, S.C. — The 7th District AME Church hosted the 'Faith for Black Lives Day of Action' march in downtown Columbia on Saturday, June 20, 2020.
The event began at noon, and attendees marched from the William Johnson Mall at Allen University to the South Carolina State House to demand police reform and justice in the community.
“I’m glad to see that it’s not just Blacks, its whites in the mix as well. It’s a lot of people that know that it’s time for a change," participant Central McFadden told News19.
The Faith for Black Lives organization collaborated with the 7th District AME Church to form the Jubilee Justice Agenda with 9 points of reform to improve Black lives in South Carolina. These reforms -- pertaining to issues of housing, education, criminal justice, economy, food security, health, infrastructure, climate change, and voting -- were presented at the rally Saturday.
“Today was the rally and tomorrow we will begin disseminating our policies," Bishop Samuel L. Green of the Seventh Episcopal District said, "America, politics, politicians and people in government positions have forgotten that the Constitution is about we the people and not ‘we the party’ or ‘we my ego’ or ‘we my personal desires.’ It’s about helping the people, raising the people, and bringing the people to a place where they can feel an opportunity to live and survive here in this nation.”
US Rep. James Clyburn and Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin spoke about bringing change to the nation and getting out and voting.
"We have spent years in this country talking past each other, talking over each other, talking around each other but not enough time talking with each other," Clyburn said.
“We know that faith without works is dead, and activism without activism is just a conversation," Benjamin said during his speech.
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Other speakers scheduled at the rally included: Jerry Govan,Chairman of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus; Rev. Nelson B. Rivers, III, Vice President, Religious Affairs and External Relations National Action Network and Pastor of Charity Missionary Baptist Church; Brenda Murphy, South Carolina NAACP President; Mr. J. T. McLawhorn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Urban League; Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, The South Carolina United Methodist Conference; Bishop Andrew Waldo, Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina; Bishop Herman Yoos of the South Carolina Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and Dr. Charles B. Jackson, Sr., Pastor of Brookland Baptist Church.