Bishop E.W. Jackson Sr., pastor of a local church in Chesapeake and bishop of Exodus Faith Ministries, visited Ferguson, Missouri, on a fact-finding mission for STAND, a nonprofit organization bringing people together across racial and cultural lines.
“The events of Ferguson are the very thing we are committed to preventing. And in spite of the fact that history seems to repeat itself, these incidents are preventable” Jackson said.
Jackson, the 2013 Republican lieutenant governor nominee, toured the damage done to businesses in Ferguson and spoke to ministers and residents to find out what they think could have been done to prevent the escalation into violence and destruction of property. He has offered a seven- point plan for dealing with similar events in the future. The plan can be accessed at (A Plan for Racial Crisis).
“Some of what I propose was done in Ferguson. The Pastors took action to calm things down. I believe the ministers of Ferguson deserve more credit than they have gotten. Those I spoke to agreed that being prepared for future crises could prevent some of the destructive spin off that occurred in this case,” added Jackson.
There were some efforts observed by Jackson that were not helpful or constructive. “Bringing outsiders in and giving them a platform,” Mr. Jackson further stated, “will in hindsight be seen as counterproductive. I don’t believe that Al Sharpton or the Attorney General, helped because their rhetoric is racially divisive. However, in contrast, Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, is going to Ferguson to build bridges across their racial divides, and will no doubt provide healing leadership that will help bring peace and move Ferguson forward rather than leaving it a more divided community.”
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