Praying for peace
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on July 31, 2016 1:45 AM
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Participants round the corner at Slocumb Street and Olivia Lane in Goldsboro on Saturday. The Unity Prayer Walk was heavily attended by various members of the community, including Mayor Chuck Allen.
Jill McQueen could not hold back the tears Saturday morning as she prepared to participate in the Unity Prayer Walk, organized in response to the growing epidemic of violence in recent months.
"Goldsboro didn't used to be like this," she said. "I just wish this mess would quit. Goldsboro, it's my home, baby."
Her father was military, moving the family here in 1968.
It was a different era, she said.
"You could just go anywhere in this town and didn't worry about anything," she said.
Ms. McQueen found out about the event Friday when she read about it in the newspaper, quickly deciding to do battle against the evils of crime.
"We call it a spirit," said LaVone Hicks, standing nearby. "As Christians, it's what we have to do, come together and bind that spirit."
Ms. Hicks is a friend and former teacher of Everlena Eason, who planned the event in response to recent acts of violence locally and around the world.
"I'm just proud of Everlena," Ms. Hicks said. "I was feeling sort of helpless.
"As Christians, we pray but we think, what else can we do? She came up with this idea and I said, 'I'm in,' so I'm here to show support to do whatever I can."
Law enforcement was also represented at the event, which kicked off at Dillard Middle School.
Traffic officer M. Smith and Officer Collins, a K-9 officer, were among those assigned to ensure the march went off without a hitch.
"And to show a positive influence in the community," said Collins, who has 16 years in the profession. "Regardless of what's going on, we're here for the community."
"That's right, 100 percent," Smith said.
Sheriff Larry Pierce said there is a reciprocal climate, in that the community needs law enforcement and law enforcement needs the community.
"Law enforcement recently has been under so much scrutiny," he said. "We have had a lot of feedback from the different communities. We have had food brought to us, we have had flowers sent to us. We have had a lot of community support.
"I just want the community to know we're out here for them. We're people of the community ourselves."
Renita Dawson said the concept was a positive way to respond to negative situations.
"We need to do more of this in Goldsboro and abroad," she said. "People need to see that we can come together."
Grassroots efforts, as well as organized events, will continue, Pierce said.
National Night Out is going on Tuesday night at Herman Park, and a community block party is planned on Saturday at Lincoln Homes, from 6-8 p.m.
"We had (a community block party) two months ago at Day Circle," Pierce said. "We're trying to get around to all the communities. We're all in this together."
Some of the locations where events are springing up, like the prayer walk, are squarely located where recent shootings have occurred.
In the footpath of the walk that originated from Dillard Middle, at the intersection of Olivia Lane and Slaughter Street, is where 19-year-old Atiya Maddox was fatally shot when she was caught in the crossfire as shots were exchanged between two vehicles.
She was buried on Friday.
Tiya was a member of Mrs. Eason's church.
"You don't want to wait until it hits home, because this affects everybody," Mrs. Eason said.
Stacy Johnson, youth pastor of Resurrection of Goldsboro, and Dequonna Jackson turned out because of their passion for the community's youth.
"We have been doing a street revival," Ms. Jackson said.
The revival was held this past week, in part to demonstrate support for Ms. Maddox's family. It wound up making a difference in other ways.
"There was a sign outside the revival (site) that said, 'Saved, 26; Murder, 0,'" said Jimmy Speight.
Rex Hunter had all sorts of reasons not to be at the prayer walk on Saturday.
While he grew up in that neighborhood, he now lives in Mar Mac. A disability prevents him from walking far. And he had already missed another march last week because of the heat.
But none of that mattered on Saturday.
"That's my second cousin that passed," he said of Tiya.
He said he wants to see others care and demonstrate compassion and kindness by their actions.
"Hopefully this will continue and people will stop harboring those who have done crimes," he said.
Deacon Junius Shealy, of St. Mark Church of Christ, and his wife, Beulah, brought their grandsons, Jaylen Wynn, 13, and Anthony Brewington, 11, visiting from Greensboro.
"We're here to support the community and just be a part of peace," Mrs. Shealy said.
She said she had marched in the 1960s and witnessed the effectiveness such an effort could make. It was something she hoped to pass on to her grandsons.
Mayor Chuck Allen addressed the crowd before the walk began, sharing that there had been seven murders in the area this year, four still unsolved.
"Goldsboro is a better place than what's going on in the nation, but we're not where we ought to be," he said. "It ought not be this way. You ought to be able to ride down the street.
"There's a gang problem. Anybody can tell you there's not. The best way you can know you've got a problem is to admit you've got a problem."
Borrowing a message from this past week's Democratic convention, he said there is strength in numbers.
"We are stronger together," he said.
Mrs. Eason admitted she had not even considered what kind of turnout the prayer walk would generate.
"I didn't even care, if it was going to be two people -- me and someone else -- it didn't matter," she said. "It was my heart.
"I wanted to do this before these three deaths in 24 hours happened, but when that happened -- and I almost postponed it -- but then I said, we can't. We need the community to know we stand together as one, not just as a black church, a white church. We all stand together for one cause."
As more and more people arrived, and the crowd swelled to over 100, the emotions overtook her.
"My heart is overwhelmed to see everyone here for the same cause," she said. "It not just white. It's not just black. It's all of us who make this work.
"I do believe in my heart when we come together, things happen. When we hit those streets, things happen. It has no choice. It has to change."
The unity walk will not become an isolated event, she said.
The effort will continue, starting quarterly and building from there.
"This is not just a moment. It's not for the moment. It's a movement to help change what we didn't like," she said "If you continue to complain about something, but you don't do something (it won't change).
"God is going to do something. We're hoping for a change for our community. Not just for our community, for the world."