Sharing the table: Latin Kings work for peace and unity

by Kyle Lambelet

Jul. 1, 2008

[This article was contributed to by Erica Mayo, Welsey Morris, Lewis Brandon, Arletha Jowers, and Nelson Johnson. View pictures of the media briefing here. Discuss the media briefing, the media's response, and the import of the ongoing work on our online discussion forum.]

On Monday, June 30th the Beloved Community Center, Pulpit Forum, and area church and community leaders joined with Jorge Cornell and members of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN) to call for peace in the streets and an end to racist policies and practices.

A connection made

Jorge Cornell, known as King J, is head Inca and leader of the ALKQN in North Carolina. Cornell and other members of the ALKQN participated in the BCC's weekly community meeting on Wednesday, June 25th at the invitation of Javier Garcia, a friend of the BCC and member of FaithAction International House. He suggested the connection while working with the ALKQN in their effort to build bridges with other gangs, associations, organizations and the religious community.

Cornell along with several members of the ALKQN shared about the history of their organization as well as their desire to combat the racist forces pressing down on the Latino community. After hearing their story of struggle and transformation, those around the BCC table – a weekly space for sharing community concerns – expressed their deep appreciation and agreed to explore how to deepen our common work.

Backlash

The opportunity for such a deepening came quickly when Rev. Johnson received a call Thursday evening from Cornell seeking spiritual guidance. Cornell had learned that Police Officers had visited several of his friends at home and on the job and indicated that there was a warrant for his arrest.

"I asked him what he wanted to do about this," said Rev. Johnson. "What he didn't want was the police kicking in his door in the middle of the night. So after some conversation, we agreed that he should turn himself in." After a time of prayer, Rev. Johnson, along with Willena Cannon, accompanied Cornell to the magistrate and turn himself in.

Arriving at the Magistrate, Cornell gave his name and shared that the police were looking for him with a warrant for his arrest. After checking the files for the Greensboro Police Department, the Guilford County Sherriff's Department, and a special gang database, no warrant was found. Reflecting on this experience, Cornell came to believe that the Police had visited his friends in response to his call for peace published in an article Thursday's Que Pasa. Given the choice of allowing the powers to stop the movement before it started or to press on and use the persecution as fuel for the fire, Cornell chose the latter.

Following their late night visit to the Magistrate, Rev. Johnson agreed to call together other area ministers to talk with Cornell and hear his vision. Rev. Greg Headen, Rev. Cardes Brown, and Rev. Clarence Shuford met with Cornell and Rev. Johnson at Faith Community Church Saturday afternoon. Much like the meeting with the BCC, the pastors were encouraged and pledged their support for Cornell and his effort. Rev. Brown felt it was an answer to prayer.

Sounding the call

In order to amplify the call and discredit the effort to silence Cornell's message, the pastors agreed to organize the media conference for Monday.

The media and community turnout was significant. Members of the AKQLN were represented along with Father Fidel Melo of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Mark Sills and Javier Garcia of Faith Action, members of the Pulpit Forum, and school board member Deen Hayes. In total there were over fifty representatives of the community and media.

Following Rev. Johnson's introduction, Cornell issued his call was for gang members to lay down the criminal aspects of their activity and use their organizations to combat racist injustice. "My goal is to bring peace to the streets; black and brown, come together as one. I'm asking for all Bloods, Crips, MS-13, everybody out there that represents something, to put your weapons down and let's come to a table so we can talk peace."

He shared particular concern for how Latino immigrants have been targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), calling on Black and Brown people to join together against Section 287-G of the Immigration and Nationality Act, a law that allows local law enforcement agencies to serve as immigration agents.

The question and answer period was beautiful and powerful, in spite of combative and dismissive questions from some media representatives. One reporter asked, "Are you saying that there is no gang violence in Greensboro?"

Cornell responded, "I never said there was no violence, but not every gang member is bad. It's like a church, if you have a church and you have somebody in there that rapes a girl, do you go out and prosecute the whole church?"

Rev. Headen closed the media conference giving thanks for the "possibilities of this moment." The conference was followed by more than an hour of conversation with concerned community members.

Sharing the table: Carrying the work forward

Cornell has already begun to build the unity that he is hoping for. "I'm hoping that we get some more responses and the more people we get to come to the table, some of these gangs, nations and associations," he said. "That's where we go from here. The next step is to sit down."

We are hopeful that this represents a significant and powerful step toward the vision of peace and unity that Cornell has been sharing.

Faith Action International House (336-379-0037) and the Beloved Community Center (336-230-0001) are serving as contacts for Cornell. The BCC will continue to open its table and invite any who want to make our community more just and inclusive to participate in our weekly meeting on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at 417 Arlington St.

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