Raising the Bar, Unity Gospel House of Prayer and local college students organize community mourning event
MILWAUKEE – (June 30, 2020) – Raising the Bar, Unity Gospel House of Prayer and local college students unite to offer a “Moment of Mourning” for the public on July 4 at 10 a.m. at Unity Gospel House of Prayer, 1747 N 12th St. This event will offer a space for community members to remember lives lost recently due to COVID-19, racial injustices and violence in Milwaukee.
“A Moment of Mourning is a peaceful campaign create to provide our Milwaukee community with the space to unite in solidarity and mourn the recent loss of lives across the nation due to COVID-19, racial injustice, and violence,” said La’Ketta Caldwell, Raising the Bar, event organizer and founder. “Together, we must process the sadness, grief and fear and help lift each other up.”
The program will include a moment of silence, spoken word poetry, live music and dancing, and a prayer from Pastor Marlon Lock. After the program, college students will lead a peaceful march to demonstrate intergenerational unity against racial inequalities and social injustice.
“As a college student, I wanted to organize an opportunity for people from every generation, race, ethnic group and religious background to unite and march against the current racial injustices plaguing our county,” said Destini Tomlin, march organizer. “Many people in our Black community don’t receive the fairness, rights, and justice that are celebrated on July 4th so instead we’re gathering to acknowledge how we can turn our pain into fruitful action.”
Face masks and proper physical distancing are encouraged. Attendees are also encouraged to wear all black including a black face veil for women or black armband for men to show solidarity with the “Moment of Mourning” message. Community members who attend can also show their support by posting a photo wearing all black on social media pages with the hashtag #becausetheycan.
About Raising the Bar, Inc.
Raising the Bar, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization established in 2019. Raising the Bar provides opportunities to youth and adults to succeed regardless of their economic or social status. The organization provides workshops and programs to build self-image, goal setting, and mentors those who model future aspirations. The workshops and programs focus on current community needs and provide solutions to those seeking growth. The organization also hosts yearly events giving the community the opportunity to learn about businesses and to network.