While everyone awaits Monday’s planned protest at Graceland during Elvis Week, faith leaders announced their own protest.
Pastors of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, the denomination of Dr. Martin Luther King, made some demands related to the killings of unarmed black men in Memphis and across the country.
Pastors of the Tennessee Progressive National Convention say they have always been on the front lines of social battles as evidenced by the work of civil rights icons Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Billy Kyles.
The group of more than a dozen pastors said they support protesters rights to protest at Graceland Monday, but they had their on demands in protest of the shootings of unarmed black men in Memphis.
The pews were full at Monumental Baptist Church as the council of pastors laid out three demands to local leaders and law enforcement.
First, they demanded the end of African Americans being tried by the gun of rogue officers than by jury of 12 in court of law.
Next, they wanted somebody in law enforcement to plainly say the murder of unarmed citizens is never acceptable.
Finally, they demanded for air and equal treatment from the judicial system when involving cases of people of color.
The pastors also addressed the planned protest at Graceland.
The pastors wanted to clarify that they affirm the work of law enforcement, but as they go forward.
They’re protest included working on local, state, and federal levels on policy addressing unjust treatment of people of color, and they planned to continue addressing violence in communities.
