The Meridian Leadership Council extends its profound concern, empathy, and support to all citizens of Lauderdale County as we endure the pain of the national trauma unfolding in our cities and within our communities. As an organization, the Meridian Leadership Council categorically condemns the racism, inequalities, and structural violence that have led us to this historical moment. We condemn the systemic violation of civil rights by anyone in authority, especially by those who we depend on to protect us. We share your sorrow, your frustration, your anger, and your concern for the well-being and democratic integrity of our nation.

The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, and the ensuing national and global protests, remind us of the deep structural inequalities experienced by many African Americans throughout this country’s history. In many cases, protests that have been organized to be peaceful endeavors have turned violent and have been met with violent resistance from police and by government at the highest levels. These confrontations remind many of you of those experienced during the Civil Rights movement. We endeavor to reach out to each other within the Council, and to the community, in a spirit of courage and hope, recognizing that fear will only divide our community, state, and nation.

The Mission of the Meridian Leadership Council is to promote inter-agency collaborations to create a safer community. We realize that we have much to do in an effort to ensure that all people in our community can live peaceful, harmonious lives without fear of victimization by those in their own community or by those misusing government authority. The Meridian Leadership Council is comprised of representatives from all walks of life in Lauderdale county and is shaped by deep ethical, moral, and social concerns. We have been actively working for five years to promote dialogue on social and economic justice and will continue to do so.

To this end, we urge our residents to engage with their elected representatives, community and civic groups. Meanwhile, as a council, we promise to continue our efforts to promote diversity, inclusion, and social justice work within the Meridian Leadership Council. In these efforts we actively encourage the input and ideas of all citizens of Lauderdale County. Our community is a collective of all of us – and efforts to move us towards a healthier, more welcoming, diverse, and socially just community depends on us all.

In the upcoming weeks, the Meridian Leadership Council commits to working with community members and leaders to help our community peacefully engage in dialogue to create greater social and economic justice in our community. As part of these efforts, we have tasked our members with planning and scheduling a Listening Forum in the heart of our community where residents can engage with local law enforcement and city leaders. We are committed to working with residents and local law enforcement to improve community and police interactions and relationships, understanding that trust must be at the foundation of any successful crime-reduction strategy.

We welcome hearing your thoughts and ideas on these matters, and more. To become engaged in our council’s work, please contact our council chair, Dr. Amanda Cook, at MeridianLeadershipCouncil@gmail.com.

Dr. Amanda Cook wrote this column on behalf of the Meridian Leadership Council.