Camden rallies in prayer, discussion against violence

About 50 people standing on Camden's Farnham Park green Friday afternoon shouted, "Change" and "Enough is enough," while some prayed. Cars passed and honked, and some pedestrians joined the crowd.

Representing about a dozen community advocacy groups and organizations in Camden, the 50 gathered to show solidarity with the city and country in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Camden does not agree with what's going on in the nation, but we do agree on keeping love, peace, and respect present," said Arnold Steward, 59, of Operation Camden for Christ. He manned a microphone on the green and invited others to speak at the "Enough is Enough" rally.

About a dozen people spoke, some addressing recent events, including the death of Alton Sterling, who was fatally shot by police Tuesday night in Baton Rouge, La., as well as Philando Castile, killed Wednesday during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minn. Others mentioned the shooting protest in Dallas, where another shooting left five police officers dead.

"Let your anger be a motivator for positive change," Steward said.

The group sat outside for close to two hours in Friday's 93-degree heat. Songs like Bob Marley's "One Love" and "We are the World" blared through the speakers.

Rooted in faith as well, the rally included pastors who spoke about the importance of coming together with the same message. The Rev. Tim Merrill called on getting all churches involved, including Catholic bishops around the nation, to condemn the violent acts and continue the conversation.

Niger Ali, 39, represented a few community groups at the rally, including the Camden Chess league. He emphasized having a voice in these situations.

"We're always fighting a good fight, but at the same time, we have those who think if it doesn't affect them directly, they'll stay indoors," he said. "Planning is what we need to do."

N'Namdee Nelson of Rising Leaders Global said the community must be supportive and come together during any incident. He said that when anyone is killed, there should be people out advocating for change within Camden.

"There's more power in unity than there is in money," Nelson said. "It's about all of us."

The rally also drew in some youth from Camden, including the dancers with Camden Sophisticated Sisters. One dancer, Tina Baker, 18, just graduated from Camden High School near the top of her class, she said.

While she is going to Rutgers University next year to study physical therapy on a full scholarship, she said she planned to return to Camden to help the city grow.

"I'm ready to take over my community," she said. "After I get my degree, I'm staying here to watch it change."

Before the rally began, some found a place against a stoop or a tree to write down a message on a blank poster. They created signs that said "we must unite" and "more peace, less shootings," while others wore black T-shirts that said, "Stop the violence now."

Other participants represented the Unity Community Center, Power in Praise-Stop the Violence, The Village, NAACP, National Action Network, and Operation Camden for Christ.

The Rev. Daniel Bishop of Victory Outreach Camden Church closed the rally with a prayer. He asked that the dozen people remaining join hands and pray for unity, work together, and create a solution for any unrest and injustice.

"Today, we declare peace over Camden," Steward said. "We will not have violence, we will have peace."

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