Dozens rally for peace and justice in Hempstead

More than 120 people rallied in Hempstead Saturday afternoon, with pastors, politicians, community organizations and residents calling for equality in the criminal justice system and urging active engagement with young people of color.

The "United We Stand, One Voice, One Message" rally coincided with a gathering of thousands in Washington, D.C., seeking similar initiatives.

Many speakers addressed the crowd outside Hempstead Village Hall from an elevated stage, and there were performances of inspirational songs: the "Negro National Anthem" and "Take My Hand, Precious Lord."

Attendees also locked arms and sang "Lean on Me."

Bishop David B. Gates Sr., pastor of Miracle Christian Center in Hempstead, who helped organize the event, said the rally aimed to show that injustice would no longer be tolerated and to empower residents and leaders to develop a plan of action.

"Liberty and justice for all -- it can't just be for the influential and affluent," he said in an interview. "It has to be for all."

More than a dozen speakers echoed that sentiment.

Bishop Norman H. Lyons Jr., pastor of Fountain of Life Church in Uniondale, noted the families of black men killed by police who have been in the news lately -- The Martins, The Browns, The Rices.

"It is extremely difficult to have an argument with death . . . it brings divided people together," he said. "The question before us today is: What will we do about what we know?"

Lyons said there were harsh realities that must be confronted: "an unjust justice system that refuses to value our life," and black-on-black crime. "One of the reasons that they don't respect us, is because we don't respect ourselves, and that's on us!"

Hempstead Village Mayor Wayne J. Hall Sr. said the rally was about coming together.

"Thousands have taken the streets, chanting 'I can't breathe,' and 'black and brown lives do matter,' " he said. "These marches and rallies with supporters of every race and background give us hope for our nation . . . But let us be clear: We can't stop with just marches."

Hall said the village is securing body cameras for its police.

"Change will only come when we are persistent and consistent," he said. "Change will only come when we look at some of the deep-rooted challenges that have kept us stuck in the same place for decades."

Shelley Brazley, a trustee of the Hempstead school board, urged the crowd to be more involved in the school district.

"We have resources and we're not using them!" she said. "We have to teach our children to be competitive, and I believe that we have all we need in our hands. . . . Sometimes it's just us being creative and doing what we need to do . . . I am tired of hearing about what we can't do. I want to hear about what we can do!"

Victoria Culbreath, 49, brought her sons Andrew, 14, and Alan, 20, to the rally because she thought they should be engaged.

"They're the next generation," she said, adding that she told them "Hopefully, when you grow up, your unborn child or children maybe won't have to face this."

Culbreath, a Hempstead resident of about 20 years, said her sons have learned African-American history, but recent police-involved shooting deaths of black men have been startling. "They know what the people that came before us did. So it was like, 'Oh man, we're doing this again?' I think it's unbelievable."

When asked what she hopes comes from the rally, Culbreath said, "I hope that . . . there is a sustained voice that continues all over the nation . . . and it just continues to resound until there's change."