A.G. Gancarski
On Monday evening at Bethel Baptist Church in downtown Jacksonville, more than 100 African-American men (and a couple of white guys, too) answered Bishop John Guns’ Call for 1,000 Men. Among them were two of the most important men in the city: Charles Moreland, the Community Engagement director for the Lenny Curry administration; and Nikolai Vitti, Duval County schools superintendent.
A cross-section of largely middle-age men from the African American community attended the event, including men from Christian churches and the Nation of Islam. The crowd condensed close to the stage for the event. Rudolph McKissick Jr., pastor at Bethel Baptist, said it was a “no brainer to me to allow our doors to be opened to this experience,” signalling the unity message that the event was intended to get over.
That unity message extended to the highest levels of government in Jacksonville, as the presence of Moreland and Vitti suggested.
Moreland spoke on behalf of the mayor, telling the crowd about the mayor being “committed to young people.”
“One City One Jacksonville,” Moreland said, “is huge for him. It’s not just a bunch of words; it’s what he wants to see” to “help young men be successful” and avoid “things that can set them back for years to come.”
“From the bottom of his heart,” Moreland said, “Lenny Curry cares about our young men… all of them.”
Vitti has prioritized such outreach, and Monday night’s event was yet another example.
The superintendent said it was “inspiring and humbling” to “drive up to the church and see the parking lot full” with people even parking illegally, showing their commitment to serve.
He spoke of the May Call for 1,000 men, which staved off end-of-year violence that many saw as inevitable in the schools, in reverential tones.
“What was so special,” Vitti said, “was that I didn’t feel alone” with the “burden on [his] shoulders.”
“To have 60 men come forward,” Vitti continued, “suddenly I didn’t feel alone anymore.”
Referring to Monday’s event as “the beginning of a movement,” Vitti laid the issue bare.
“We know that there aren’t enough fathers” and “grandfathers” stepping up. That said, the time has come to “stop talking about excuses” and “make sure children aren’t falling through the cracks.”
Vitti spoke of a recent family reunion that he attended, where family members kvetched about problems in schools, forcing him to speak up to his family: How many of you are actually doing something?
Then, Bishop Guns spoke, and his remarks, as usual, cut to the heart of the matter.
“Most of us in this room are African-American, which all by itself is amazing,” Guns said.
“Absent fathers … poor role models … that’s a lie. Look at this room tonight!”
The applause built and built.
The presence of the superintendent and other leaders, he continued, said this matters.
“We are already winning,” Guns continued.
The signs of victory? “Less shootings; more education.”
The men who gathered on Monday will be in 14 Duval County schools the first week of school to ensure that no violence happens.
In May, they stopped it. There is every expectation they will succeed in August also.
