Washington, DC – The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African Americans, has issued an out of the box, innovative proposal to the Governor and the Mayor of Milwaukee with solution based Action Steps to help put an end to Black on Black crime in that city. In 10 heavily crime infested neighborhoods the plan reportedly will save the City and Milwaukee County over $100,000,000 over the next 5 years. This is one of many proposals we plan to send to the following cities: Memphis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, New Orleans and Atlanta.
Rev. Anthony Evans, President of the National Black Church Initiative says, “Mayor Barrett has spoken eloquently in the past on the issue of black on black crime and the National Black Church Initiative has brought forth an answer. The question is will he step up to the plate. We are excited about offering this solution to the City of Milwaukee and the State of Wisconsin and to quiet the critics who blame the present political dysfunction of the Justice System on Black on Black crime. Now that they have a solution let’s see what their answer will be.”
The plan employs evidence, solution based strategies that have been tested in other cities in smaller scales. This plan calls for a full application of those proven techniques. Full application and a commitment from State and City leaders is needed to see whether or not they are serious about eradicating crime in the Black community. The science is clear on Black on Black crime and its effect on African American children. It traumatizes them and creates a social gene within their psyche that the only solution in solving problems is violence. This type of systemic crime patterns in the 10 neighborhoods cited would never have occurred in White middle-class neighborhoods. Milwaukee is a city that is on edge because of the lack of moral leadership in the areas of fairness in applied justice.
The Black community is well aware of what is going to happen next given the fact that that frustration, that sense of Black pain, resonates in our young people. We do not know how that pain will manifest itself in the coming months, whether in their neighborhoods, at school and even at the Church but one thing is for certain the Black community will receive the brunt of it. There is no societal moral outlet for that pain other than the destructive tactics of mass riots. This plan if fully funded and implemented can and will provide the proper evidence based intervention and be able to dissipate Black anguish, Black frustration and Black mistrust at an unfair justice system. Thus properly dealing with the Black pain that is ever present in our young and our old.
Governor Walker and Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch have talked about the fact of Black on Black crime but now let us see if they are willing to provide sufficient and necessary resources to deal with it. They have both pointed to the fact that Blacks are killing Blacks and that they have no solution to it. The Black Church has answered them in this evidence based proposal. The question is simple, are they willing to put their money where their mouths are. Are their words just empty political rhetoric of an excuse of why they are doing nothing about this epidemic of Black on Black crime? If they are honest the Black Church is willing to work with them, but if they are just blowing hot air then we will find other means of implementing this initiative. Politicians use Black on Black crime as an excuse of their half-bake political solutions to crime in general. Now at last, they do not have to use it as a political excuse, the only thing they have to do is fund the program fully.
