>>MELANIE LAWSON: WELCOME BACK EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW DOZENS OF LOCAL BLACK PASTORS TAKE THEIR
MESSAGE FROM THE PULPIT TO THE
STREETS. 2 DAYS IN A ROW
SENDING A MESSAGE OF UNITY.
STANDING WITH OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS ASKING FOR
MEANINGFUL CHANGE TO ERADICATE
RACISM AND IT’S DETRIMENTAL
EFFECTS. IT IS DRAFTED TO THE
MAYOR THE SHERIFF, THE STATE
ATTORNEYS AND OTHER KEY
JACKSONVILLE LEADERS, URGING
THEM TO TAKE THE NECESSARY
STEPS TO HEAL THE RACIAL DIVIDE
AND SUE ENSURE EQUAL PROTECTION
UNDER THE LAW FOR ALL OF
OUR CITIZENS. JOINING ME NOW
VIA ZOOM FROM BETHEL CHURCH
BISHOP RUDOLPH MCKISSICK
JUNIOR, WHO WAS NOT AT THE
GATHERING HAD A PRIOR
OBLIGATION BUT SAID HE IS 100%
BEHIND THE MOVEMENT GOOD
MORNING BISHOP.
>> GOOD MORNING MELANIE HOW
ARE YOU.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: I TALKED WITH
YOU YESTERDAY AND YOU SAID THAT
YOU HAVE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD
BEFORE BUT THIS TIME FEELS
DIFFERENT. WHY
IS THAT.
>> I THINK THIS TIME FEELS
DIFFERENT BECAUSE I THINK
AMERICA COLLECTIVELY HAD A GAS.
BEYOND COLOR AND CULTURE AT WHAT THEY SAW FOR ALMOST 9 WHERE A
BLACK MAN WAS PRACTICALLY
LYNCH IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY
PUBLICLY AND OTHER PEOPLE
WATCHED IT. AND THERE WAS NO
OUT OR NO CRACK IN
THE DOOR FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD
NORMALLY JUSTIFIED. POLICE
BRUTALITY TO
JUSTIFY IT. AND THIS TIME
AMERICA COLLECTIVELY GRAB A
GASHED AND WHAT THEY SAW.
IT ANGERED US AGAIN.
IT DID NOT SHOCK US BECAUSE
WE’RE USED
TO IT. BUT THIS TIME I THINK
EVERYBODY WAS A PART
OF IT.
>>LAUREN VERNO: NOW ONE OF THE
ASKED IN THE LETTER THAT WE
HAVE HER CONSISTENCY IS A
CITIZENS
REVIEW BOARD. WE HAD STEVE ZONA
THE HEAD OF THE FOP ON
YESTERDAY HE SAYS HE DISAGREES
WITH
THIS IDEA BECAUSE INVESTIGATION
SHOULD BE JUDGED ON BACKED HE
SAID IN EVIDENCE NOT EMOTION,
POLITICS OR AGENDAS.
SO HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST A
REVIEW BOARD BE
EXECUTED FAIRLY.
>> I THINK FIRST OF ALL THERE’S
GOT TO BE TRUST ON BOTH SIDES I
THINK
THE REALITY THAT THE
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAS
TO ADMIT IS THAT THERE IS A
FUNDAMENTAL JUSTIFIED. MISTRESS
WITH THE
BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND THE
MAYOR’S OFFICE AND
EVERYWHERE ELSE UNTIL WE COME
TO THAT CONCLUSION. AND
BAY TRUST. NOW WHAT WE WANT
IS NOT FAVORED BODY QUALITY.
THEN I THINK
WE CAN. COME TO A CONCLUSION OF
HOW AND WHO TO PUT
ON THOSE BOARDS, IT’S VERY
IMPORTANT BECAUSE UNTIL THEY DO
SOMETHING THAT SHOWS
TO US. THEY ARE WILLING TO COME
WITH US ON THE JOURNEY OF THE
QUALITY WE NEED SOMETHING FROM
BILL AND I THINK A REVIEW BOARD
ALLOWS THAT TO HAPPEN BECAUSE
HERE TO 4. THERE HAVE BEEN TOO
MANY INSTANCES WHEN AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY TREATED. AND SO I THINK A
REVIEW BOARD ALLOWS ITS
STATEMENT OF TRUST
ON BOTH SIDES AND THEN ALLOWS
US TO ENGAGE. THE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE IN WHAT THEY DO AND IN CRITICIZING HOW THEY
TREAT US.
TREAT US. >>LAUREN VERNO: CONVERSATIONS SITTING DOWN AT THE TABLE
THAT’S ALSO SOMETHING WE HEAR
OVER AND
OVER AGAIN OVERNIGHT A
CONFEDERATE MONUMENT CAME DOWN
IN HEMMING PARK WILL ALSO HEAR
FROM THE MAYOR AND THE SHERIFF
LATER THIS MORNING.
WE INTERVIEWED BEN FRAZIER THIS
MORNING WITH THE NORTH SIDE
COALITION LIVE
ON AIR AND HE SAYS HE WANTS
COMMUNITY GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO
SIT DOWN WITH THIS
ADMINISTRATION AND THE PART OF
THE SOLUTION. DO YOU THINK
THERE IS AN OPEN DIALOGUE
HAPPENING.
>> I THINK IT’S I THINK
IT’S POSSIBLE. I DON’T THINK IT
HAS HAPPENED. BUT I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE. I THINK THE COMING DOWN OF THESE MONUMENTS AND I
COMMEND THE MAYOR
FOR BACK. I THINK
IT’S POSSIBLE. I THINK IF WE’RE
GOING TO HAVE THE DIALOGUE THAT
CAN NOT
BE POLITICIZED. NOTHING DONE
CAN BE POLITICIZED LOOK FOR
POLITICAL REASONS. I THINK THAT
WE NEED
TO HAVE A DIALOGUE BUT WE’VE
GOT TO DO MORE THAN DIALOGUE.
YOU KNOW WEEK WE’VE HAD
CONVERSATIONS FOR YEARS.
I CAN REMEMBER MY FATHER AS
A CHILD. OVER UP A PLETHORA OF
MAYORS ALWAYS HAD DIED ALL ITS
ALWAYS HAD A
TABLE COMMUNICATION. BUT AT
SOME POINT WE’VE GOT TO GO
BEYOND JUST A DIME. ALL BECAUSE
YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE NOT AT THE
TABLE YOU’RE ON THE MENU.
BUT NOW WE’VE GOT TO BE MORE
THAN JUST AT THE TABLE WE’VE
GOT TO CREATE THE MENU AND SO I
THINK HE COULD BE MORE
THAN THAT.
>>LAUREN VERNO: THANK YOU
BISHOP MCKISSICK JUNIOR FOR
THAT DIALOGUE. THIS MORNING
AGAIN IN THE LETTER SAYS WE
WILL