After a mass shooting of 21 people at a block party on Detroit’s east side, Detroit’s Black churches are coming together with residents and other advocacy organizations to support the community and spearhead efforts for change. The July 7 incident, which killed two people and injured 19 others, goes down as one of the city’s worst mass shootings to date. From June to August 2022, Detroit was the site of at least five mass shootings.
In light of the recent mass shootings, American Black Journal’s “Black Church in Detroit” series examines the spiritual response to gun violence and how the church and community can work together to eradicate it. Host Stephen Henderson talks with Rev. Barry Randolph of Church of the Messiah and Rev. Ralph L. Godbee, Jr. from Triumph Church.
Randolph reflects upon his reaction to the block party shooting and how his church stepped up immediately to come up with a plan of action. He explains how his new “Orange Mile Project” works, bringing together churches, residents, police, politicians, schools, and other assets in a square mile radius to work in collaboration against violence.
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Godbee, whose extensive law enforcement background includes a stint as Detroit Police Chief, discusses the need for stricter gun laws from a legal and moral standpoint. He also talks about the impact of community policing, the importance of addressing mental health challenges in the community and ensuring that people know who they elect to political office.
Plus, both ministers talk about how gun violence is affecting the city’s youth and how it is a uniquely American problem that has become the number one cause of death for young people.
Then, to close the show, “American Black Journal” remembers Motown music legend Duke Fakir who passed away recently at the age of 88. Fakir was the last original member of The Four Tops and had just stopped touring with the group at the end of last year, capping a 70-year music career. Watch a clip from The Four Tops’ appearance on Detroit Black Journal in 1987.
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Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.
