MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release
July 11, 2016
Media Contact
Jessica Grondin
207.756.8173
Portland Leaders Join Together to
Make a Commitment to Peace
City & religious leaders host a gathering to reflect on lives lost
PORTLAND, Maine – Portland leaders will join together tomorrow at 5:30 PM to make a commitment to peace. The City of Portland and Reverend Kenneth Lewis, pastor at the Green Memorial AME Zion Church, will host a community gathering with various city, community, and religious leaders to reflect on the lives that were lost following events in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas. The event is open to the public.
The event will feature the following speakers:
Reverend Kenneth Lewis, pastor, Green Memorial AME Zion Church
Councilor Jill Duson, Portland City Council, At-Large
Chief Michael Sauschuck, Portland Police Department
David Thete, Portland resident & member of the group Kesho Wazo
Dean Danielle Conway, University of Maine School of Law
“Portland is a strong community, and we must rely on that strength now so that we can have an open and heartfelt conversation in light of these events,” said City Councilor Jill Duson. “I know that many of us have a lot of emotions to process, and I look forward to being able to do that with the members of my community. I want to thank the City Manager and his staff, as well as Reverend Lewis and Bishop Coleman, for organizing this. It’s our hope that this will become the beginning of future community conversations.”
“Here in Portland we have certainly been influenced and impacted by the things that have happened outside of our community. Many people have come up to me to ask what do we do, where do we go, and how do we process this?” said Reverend Lewis. “We are all in this together and we must come together to figure it out.”
“The Portland Police Department is thankful for the support we’ve received over the last few days. We work each and every day to be a part of the solution for our community,” said Chief Michael Sauschuck. “Tomorrow, it’s my hope that we will talk about a commitment to instilling hope, not hate, and to continued education and communication in our community.”
“While we might not be exactly like the other cities in which these events have recently taken place, we do have intrinsic biases that we must continue to address,” said Bishop Steve Coleman, pastor at Williams Temple, Church of God in Christ. “Fear and anger has led to a lot of tension in our country, but if we come together and communicate regularly then we can work to erase it.”
WHEN: Tuesday, July 12, 2016 from 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
WHERE: Green Memorial AME Zion Church, 46 Sheridan Street, Portland.
*Sheridan Street, between Congress & Monument, will be closed during the event. Police will be on hand to allow local access to homes in this area. Residents should adhere to emergency no parking signs. There will be outside TV projection in the event that the Church reaches capacity.
