U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said protests stemming from unrest in Ferguson, Mo. are “borne out of tragedy” but present the nation with an opportunity to address relationships between police forces and minority communities.
“It is incumbent to seize this opportunity and come up with ways in which we make this relationship better, especially in communities of color,” he said.
Holder’s remarks come during a visit to Ebenezer Baptist Church this evening, the first stop on a national tour to discuss public safety and race relationships, a conversation spurred by unrest in Ferguson, Mo. after the killing of an unarmed teenager there earlier this year.
Holder and U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates met with local leaders, including Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta Police Chief George Turner, for a town hall discussion dubbed “The Community Speaks.” Dr. Martin Luther King’s sister Christine King Farris and Dr. Bernice King sat with Holder during the briefing.
During an interfaith service, Yates said several steps must be taken to address concerns about racial profiling and discrimination.
“I’m not going to pretend right now that I have the answer for exactly how we go about doing this. I do think it begins by acknowledging the very real historical and present day experiences of some African-Americans who feel disenfranchised,” she said, as many in the audience shouted: “All.”
Reed said “tonight in Atlanta we’re here to have a real conversation. And more than a conversation we’re here to actually do something.”
The mayor then announced a pilot program to place body cameras on Atlanta police officers, a move that sparked loud applause from the packed house.
A portion of the audience interrupted Holder’s remarks, chanting: “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
Holder, who waited until the demonstration ended, said the outburst was a “genuine expression of concern” and that such passion leads to change.
The attorney general quipped to the group: “I ain’t mad at you.”
Referring to perceived mistrust between some police forces and the communities they serve, Holder said the protests “present this nation with a unique opportunity … to deal with issues too long ignored.”
The attorney general said he’s in Atlanta to “listen and learn” from local leaders. He also said that President Barack Obama wants to see “concrete steps taken” as a result of this effort.
Holder’s appearance is part of a coordinated White House strategy announced last week by the president to strengthen relationships between police and minority communities. The president has also announced plans to address concerns over the militarization of local police forces, an issue that arose during the response to Ferguson protests.
“It raised a broader issue as to whether we are militarizing domestic law enforcement unnecessarily, and is the federal government facilitating that?” Obama said earlier today, announcing plans to sign an executive order that will in part “make sure that we’re not building a militarized culture inside our local law enforcement.”
Yates said to the Ebenezer crowd that “we must be mindful of the impact that police outfitted in military gear has on our citizens and our social fabric.”
Holder is expected to visit multiple cities to discuss these issues following a grand jury’s decision last week to not indict a former Ferguson police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown after a scuffle.
For updates, return to AJC.com.
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