All Souls hosts reading of "Black Super Hero Magic Mama" and a Discussion on Community Policing
Tulsa, OK January 5, 2017 - Each Fall and Spring, All Souls Church hosts a kickoff to start the season's new Wednesday Connections class schedule. On January 18, starting at 5:30 pm, All Souls is inviting the community and church members to participate in a potluck dinner and conversation about community policing, see a staged reading of "Black Super Hero Magic Mama," and participate in a panel discussion about community policing. Community policing aims to reduce crime through relationship building between officers and citizens. The event is free to the public. All Souls is located at 2952 S. Peoria Ave. in Tulsa.
"At All Souls, we are committed to keeping the conversation going about race relations in Tulsa, and we are committed to participating in the evolution of our inclusive community," said Shannon Boston, Dir. of Lifespan Religious Exploration. "We will have discussion starters on the tables during dinner about community policing to encourage dialog and to get people thinking about their visions and questions about community policing before the panel discussion."
The 2016 WomenWorks award-winning play "Black Super Hero Magic Mama," by Inda Craig-Galván is a contemporary production about an African-American mother's grief when her son is killed by a white police officer. She chooses to recreate herself as a super hero from the graphic novel her son was working on before his death. Hard truths, painful choices, and the ultimate sacrifice for love are explored in this award-winning play.
The panel discussion will be moderated by All Souls Senior Minister Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar.
Panelists include:
Rev. Gerald Davis: Representing The United League for Social Action (TULSA), a multiracial coalition addressing issues of racial profiling, over-policing, and police brutality. The coalition's goals are to obtain law enforcement transparency and accountability, implicit bias training for law enforcement, and develop a citizen review board with subpoena power.
Drew Diamond: Tulsa police officer from 1969 to 87, and Tulsa's Chief of Police from 1987 to 91, recognized nationally as an expert on community-based policing. Diamond pioneered the concept of community policing while in Tulsa and continued his work with the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, D.C., and with foreign governments. Diamond is currently the Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa.
All Souls justice teams will be represented during the dinner for participants to learn about All Souls justice work and volunteer opportunities. People are encouraged to bring a favorite dish to share (serve 6-8) for the potluck which starts at 5:30 p.m. The staged reading of the play will begin at 6:15 p.m. and the panel discussion will follow the reading.
Limited space is available for childcare.
About All Souls Church:
All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma offers three distinct services each Sunday - Traditional service at 10:00 a.m., the Contemporary service at 11:30 a.m., and the Humanist Hour at 11:30 a.m. Here, the religious education involves all ages and aims at connecting heads, hearts, and hands."
Copyright The Gayly - 1/6/2017 @ 10:47 a.m. CST. All rights reserved.