A Message from Greater Cleveland’s (GCC) Criminal Justice Team: Join our Work Ahead:

We will not soon forget the events in the late afternoon of April 20th, 2021. In the same hour that a jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota convicted Derek Chauvin on three charges in the killing of George Floyd, we learned of the killing of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant at the hands of the Columbus Police Department. Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and community of Ma’Khia Bryant in this time of unthinkable grief.

As people of faith, we yearn for a world of justice-filled peace, equity, and restoration that flows like a mighty stream. We believe that the lives of George Floyd and Ma’Khia Bryant were sacred. We believe that Black Lives Matter. We are committed to continuing to organize our community to dismantle the pervasive and systemic anti-Black racism that riddles our criminal justice, public health, and safety systems. We are committed to dismantling the structures that consistently harass, oppress, and enact often fatal violence against Black and Brown people, and instead creating systems of de-escalation, non-violence, diversion, and trauma-informed care.

Our particular mission, as the Criminal Justice Team of Greater Cleveland Congregations, is to dismantle a Criminal Justice system that is rooted in a legacy of unabated racism. We will continue our efforts to organize around and expand access to Restorative Justice and Crisis Diversion in our communities. We will listen to the needs of the community and continue to organize around law enforcement, jail and court reform. We hope anyone who shares in our mission will consider joining us in our efforts.

The Criminal Justice Team Quad Chairs

Rev. Sandra Alexander, First Baptist Church
Rev. Jawanza Colvin, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
Rev. Joanna D’Agostino, Lakewood Congregational Church
Donna Weinberger, Kol HaLev
https://www.greaterclevelandcongregations.org/