What if there was another number you could call besides 911 in an emergency? What if the person who responded was a social worker instead of a police officer? That is the idea behind the C.A.L.L. Stockton initiative, which led to a new pilot program that aims to serve as a community-based alternative to police.
A Rally for Unity in the Fight Against Bigotry
By Almendra Carpizo—Aug. 18, 2017
Toni McNeil was standing in a circle surrounded by dozens of people gathered Friday to condemn white supremacy following the incidents in Charlottesville, Virginia, when a white man tapped her on her right shoulder.
As she turned, the man called her over to him. The interaction lasted less than 60 seconds but it made her want to cry.
“I want to tell you I’m sorry,” he told her with tears in his eyes and her hand in between his.
McNeil, an elder at Victory in Praise, didn’t know him but it was a moment that captured the essence of why the group had gathered.
Faith in the Valley, a five-county faith-based grassroots organization composed of 120 congregations, held a rally Friday afternoon at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza on El Dorado and Fremont streets to unite people in the community, denounce white supremacy, tell city leaders to not issue any permits if white supremacist groups want to gather in Stockton, and ask that local law enforcement agencies create plans in the event such protests erupt in the city.
Read more on Recordnet.com.
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