An Urgent Plea to Greensboro to Help Save Lives

by Rev. Nelson Johnson

Mar. 24, 2009

[The following is a letter written to the citizens of Greensboro in lieu of recent events regarding the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN) and the call for gang peace that was initiated by King Jay (Jorge Cornell) of the ALKQN in the summer of 2008.]

I am writing this letter to my immediate community and the larger Greensboro community because my conscience leaves me no choice.  In the last nine months, I have been introduced to the world of street groups, or “gangs.”  I have worked with and sought to better understand my young brothers and sisters in their struggles for survival and human dignity. I now fear for the lives of members of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN), especially their leader and my friend Jorge Cornell.

I have chosen to speak out now because after awhile silence becomes complicity, complicity that leads to betrayal.  My purpose is not to debate or defend the history and previous conduct of the ALKQN; rather it is to make public a dangerous and deteriorating situation.  My hope is to prevent the killing of a person that could begin a bloodletting that might ultimately result in the deaths of many people, including children.

On Friday, February 27th, at least four shots were fired at Jorge Cornell as he was about to enter the home of a friend.  Three children were in that home. Thank God no one was hit.  Fearing for their lives, they all dove for the floor, scrambling and seeking safety.   Two weeks before the February 27th incident, a car pulled up beside a friend of the organization on Lee Street and fired a shot out the window in her direction.

I was on the phone with Jorge the night of the February 27th shooting, offering prayer and whatever support I could.  Another minister and I offered to come to where the group was huddled together to show our support, but we were urged not to come because Jorge feared for our safety.  Seeing himself as the target, Jorge left town that very night and was gone for approximately ten days.  His assumption was that his absence would relieve the danger on the other members of his organization.

On March 12th, several days after his return to the city, however, shots were fired into the same home. Jorge was not there that evening but the family, including children, was again terrified.  The ALKQN is now living in a state of terror, not feeling safe driving their cars and not feeling safe in their homes.

Back in late June 2008, Jorge, as the leader of the North Carolina ALKQN, called for peace between all street groups and asked all groups to turn their efforts toward working for peace and justice in the community.  Several successful meetings were held, resulting in a peace treaty among representatives of five street groups.  Within six weeks after the public announcement for peace, Jorge was shot twice. No one has ever been charged for the shooting.  Although Jorge publicly stated that whoever shot him was forgiven and urged all to continue in the peace process, the shooting effectively frightened most of the groups away from the peace process for a period.

In addition to the shooting, a barrage of arrests and intimidating tactics were unleashed by the Greensboro Police Department‘s Gang Unit in the fall.  A large number of the members of ALKQN was arrested.  In less than 18 months Jorge has been charged with more than 14 felonies, each one earning headlines in the newspaper.  One of the felony charges in December was for abducting or kidnapping a young lady.   All of these felonies were either thrown out of court or defeated in court.  I, along with members of the Pulpit Forum and other concerned citizens, pressed city officials hard about our concern that the Police “Gang Unit” was out of control. In fact, we presented a proposal called A Paradigm Shift that invited all of us to view “gangs” as a potential resource for safe, peace-making and justice-making communities.   (The full text of this statement can be viewed online at www.belovedcommunitycenter.org.)

While these felonies were thrown out or defeated in court, each charge and each arrest meant not only being demonized in the press, but also tremendous bail bond money and lawyer fees.  This process was bleeding the group dry financially and causing some to lose their jobs and to be evicted from their homes.  The Police’s very approach to “law enforcement” is objectively criminalizing and driving this group of young people into crime, despite their desperate efforts to seek justice and live lives of meaning and dignity.

 Eight or ten clergy and trusted community leaders met on last Friday, March 21st, to discuss the situation.  We agreed on a few steps that would take place over time.  However, on Sunday night, I received a call that informed me that another member of the ALKQN was the target of yet another shooting, as the window of the car he was driving was shot out on Saturday night.  

 A logical question is why has this not been taken to the police.  Although some might find this hard to believe, the group fears that the police will simply turn this into another reason to arrest and charge members of the group. I have not gone to the police because I agree with that concern.  Instead, I have chosen to reach out to the public. 

Many will think this is simply a fight between gangs.  I do not share that opinion.  There is simply no evidence to support that view.  There is no conflict with any other street group or gang. In fact, the unity and peace initiative among gangs is again underway.  The ALKQN is not into using or selling drugs and has not been involved in fights or territorial disputes.  Further, their way of life no longer invites this kind of rivalry.  Although I cannot prove it, I believe that the hand of rogue police officers or former police officers is behind these shooting. I am fully aware that I will be ridiculed by many for advancing this view, but I have chosen reluctantly to express my honest view because I hope it will serve as a deterrent.   I hope it will save some lives. 

My long-time experiences with a certain sector of the Greensboro Police, including the events of 1979, the truth and reconciliation process, and more recently my relations with the ALKQN have provided me with insights that are now a cherished gift, and I must use that gift.   I do not need to be proven right.  In fact, being proven right in this situation is my greatest fear.  I am speaking out because I believe it is in the common good to do so, and as such it is the work of God.  I have tried to purge myself of any other motive.

I appeal to the good in all of us, without regard to race or social status, not to dismiss what I am saying.  Our community needs healing; no person or group of persons in our community should live under the conditions that these young people are now forced to live.  Our city is better than this.  Although it is tempting to talk about “gangs or street groups” in general, under the current circumstances that would be a distraction, or worse yet, a way of denying our responsibility as a community to look critically at ourselves, our institutions, and ultimately our community’s way of life.  I ask you to join me in prayer and in a quest for justice in our city. I would be honored to receive any suggestions or advice please e-mail me at nelsonj@belovedcommunitycenter.org. 

Yours in faith and love,

Rev. Nelson Johnson

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