For Immediate Release
BROOKLYN PASTOR REV TERRY LEE PLEADS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO STAND TOGETHER AGAINST RISING VIOLENCE.
Community Concerns Network: Brooklyn, NY - Thursday, July 21, 2022
As violence in our neighborhoods and across the nation continues to increase, inner-city preacher and innovator Reverend Dr. Terry M. Lee amps up his call for every member of the NYPD and law enforcement, elected and public officials, clergy and other faith-based leaders, community leaders, youth leaders, and more to stand together as a powerful statement of unity against violence.
“Come out and show the community that you’re willing to do prevention. That you believe in facilitating change and empowering the community. We must unite so that we can have safer neighborhoods, so we can rebuild trust and eliminate the walls that prevent us from seeing each other as human and cause us to shoot and kill each other. Now is the time for healing and unity. We need our leaders – spiritual, political, social, entrepreneurial. We need everybody to come out and join forces.”
A staunch believer in “it takes a village”, Reverend Lee has been working with the police and the NYPD Bureau of Community Affairs for decades to help ease local tensions. This will be the 25th Anniversary of the Annual Unity Walk & Community Festival, which kicks off on Saturday, August 6, 2022, with a parade from Empire Boulevard and Flatbush Avenue and culminates with the Community Festival on Utica Avenue and Church Avenue. Both the parade and the festival begin at 11:00 am. The festival ends at 6:00 pm.
This year’s Grand Marshall will be honorary police officer, 10-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, an extraordinary young man from Texas, currently battling terminal brain and spine cancer. Strongly committed to bridging the gap between the community and law enforcement, DJ has been sworn in at over 600 law enforcement agencies. As of this date, confirmed leaders include NYPD - Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs Mark T. Stewart and Commanding Officer of Community Affairs Chief Maximo Tolentino on behalf of Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell; Senator Roxanne J. Persaud; Assembly Member Brian Cunningham, Assembly Member José Rivera; Council Member Farah N. Louis; and former Texan Police Officer M. Troy Smith with an expected appearance by Mayor Eric L. Adams .and Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman.
Now in its 25th year, the Unity Walk & Community Festival strategically augments the relationship between the NYPD and the community with social interaction that breaks down the barriers between the law and the people. The event includes a parade and is followed immediately by a community festival that enables the police, Brooklynites, and other New Yorkers to mingle in an informal and jovial atmosphere while gathering essential resources on immigration, housing, finance, and more that will help them navigate their everyday lives.
Activities include special training exercises with the NYPD and FDNY, inflatable rides and games for children, distribution of health, legal, housing, financial, and other resources, immigration assistance offered by NY Immigration Coalition, storytelling, arts, and crafts with Brooklyn Public Library, and more. Everyone is encouraged to attend including families affected by violence, anti-violence groups, consul generals, NYPD fraternal associations, biking clubs, healthcare agencies/workers, educators, youth group, entertainers, impersonators, artists, musicians, marching bands, home and business owners, block associations, athletes and sports associations, all New Yorkers, including immigrants, citizens, residents, and more. Flags, banners, balloons, floats, and more are welcome. Be festive. Be inspirational.
We also encourage Jamaican and Trinidadian nationals to join us in celebration of their Independence Days during the month of August.
As part of the Unity Walk, Reverend Lee will also be hosting “Bridging the Gap. Connecting the Divide.” a series of online discussions on neighborhood safety and the impact of positive relationships with law enforcement and the NYPD. Moderated by Communications Specialist Adriana Isaac-Rattan, the series will occur online every Wednesday now through August 10 and will feature key NYPD personnel, public officials, and other community and anti-violence leaders. The series is free to attend and will be hosted on Zoom. Attendees can sign in online by visiting ccnnow.org.
Unity Walk is just one of the initiatives he’s implemented—the other includes Immigrants Responding to Crisis, an on-the-ground team that actively responds to crisis, including shooting incidents and natural disasters. Interested volunteers, can sign up online at ccnnow.org
Unity Walk is sponsored in part by the NYC Police Foundation, Healthfirst, Affinity by Molina, Humana, NY Immigration Coalition, and Rainbow Car Service.
Special thanks to the NYPD Bureau of Community Affairs, Assembly Member Brian Cunningham and WhatzUp TV.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Nicole Lumpress
646-856-9514
For more information on all events, visit communityconcernsnetwork.org
Social Media: #unitywalkccn