Wilmington, Del., Jul 5, 2009 / 12:03 pm
Underneath a tableau depicting Mary at the foot of the cross bearing her dying son Jesus, Jackie Latson tearfully urged about 110 men gathered at St. Paul’s Church in Wilmington, Delaware last Saturday to take back the streets and stop the violence that left her son dead.
"My son was killed five years ago," she said through her tears. "Why is it that about 50 people have been killed [in Wilmington] since? It’s not getting better; it’s getting worse. I’m begging you to stand up."
Her plea came at the start of a rally called the "1,000 Man Call to Consciousness and Action Program." Organizers said they hope to transform dangerous city streets by approaching, with a smile and a handshake.
"We hope to befriend the people on the corners, and we want to recruit them to be peacekeepers themselves," said Father Mike Tyson, associate pastor at St. Paul’s and an organizer of the rally.