(Image Source: Twitter)
What was originally planned to be a Black Lives Matter protest in Wichita, Kan., took an unlikely turn after BLM activists and local police officers decided to have a barbecue instead.
A.J.Bohannon reportedly told local police that he was planning on organizing a BLM protests, but Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay suggested that they turn it into a community event that focused on bringing police officers and the community together instead. What resulted was the “First Steps Cookout.”
On Sunday, nearly a thousand people showed up to the barbecue, where community members enjoyed free food and held pleasant conversations with local police force. Both police and activists seemed to agree the barbecue was better than anything that a protest could have accomplished.
“Very good vibe. Very good Vibe. It’s everything I was hoping for,” said Ramsay. He then went on to talk about how the local police department was committed to taking steps to foster a better, deeper relationship with the community.
“This isn’t something we’re going to change overnight or tonight. It’s just going to take continual effort on everybody’s part. And work on policy, changes, and relationships. And that’s what’s going to get to the heart of the issues.”
Bohannon said that the shooting in Baton Rouge, which took place the same day as the barbecue, made the local event that much more important in bringing the community together.
“We can get on the same page and say those things that are in Baton Rouge don’t tickle over into Wichita, Kansas,” Bohannon said. “My heart goes out to the families, those officers in Baton Rouge, but I think the fact that that did happen makes this event more meaningful. I definitely think this is a start for this community and I definitely want to keep it going.”
Part of the event included a question and answer session with Ramsey. Although some in attendance took the opportunity to voice their frustration, the vast majority seemed to have walked away happy. Baptist Pastor T. Lamont Holder described the cookout as a “model that the nation should follow.”
Hopefully, this peaceful method of opening a dialogue between Black Lives Matter activists and the local police force become more popular. On that same day, Black Lives Matter activists torched a police cruiser in Daytona Beach, Fla. A note was also found near the scene that read “F**k the Police!!”