Kathy Barrett/ Florida
Caribbean-American pastors and community leaders in South Florida will be holding a prayer vigil in Fort Lauderdale this week in the aftermath of the recent shootings across the country that led to the deaths of five police officers in the state of Texas and two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota.
Acknowledging that there is a sense of fear among Caribbean-Americans, the leaders, in a move spearheaded by Dr. Dennis Grant, a Jamaican pastor and entrepreneur, there will be a motorcade, to be followed by a prayer vigil on Tuesday in Broward County.
Prior to the prayer vigil, the community leaders are scheduled to meet with the Sherriff of Broward City, Scott Israel.
According to Grant - during the meeting, frank discussions will be held in an effort to avoid similar incidents in South Florida.
“All of us are hurting, not just black folks, not just white folks. Black folks are being killed, white folks are being killed. Retaliation is not the answer. Only through prayer will God intervene and bring a solution to the senseless killings,” he said.
Meanwhile, President of the South Florida Jamaica Diaspora, Marlon Hill , has acknowledged that there are mixed feelings in the Diaspora.
“It is very important that persons (in the region) with family members in the United States, whatever their background racially or otherwise, that every country has its laundry to deal with. The US has a couple buckets of laundry to look at in regards to the gap that exits between law enforcement and citizens, especially those who feel a sense of injustice or fear.
Late Thursday, Dallas, Texas erupted as a gunman launched an attack on the police - killing five officers.
The suspect was reacting to recent incidents in which white police officers shot two black men – Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philander Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, under controversial circumstances.
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