The cavalry is not coming. Neither the U.S. Congress nor the Kentucky General Assembly is going to help us solve the problems weighing on our city. Problems like thousands of children in middle school and beyond still struggling to read, the anxiety and depression plaguing our young people, the seemingly unending tension and mistrust that exists between our community and police.
Yet, we write this as a message of hope: Yes, there is no cavalry coming, but there is already one here. We, as citizens, must come together to secure justice for our community. Not abstract justice that serves as a talking point for politicians, but real justice, tangible systemic change that creates a safer, healthier and more equitable community.
This pursuit is what brought clergy here in Louisville together 34 years ago to form Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together (CLOUT). CLOUT is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization currently made up of 24 congregations from different faith traditions and backgrounds all across Jefferson County who have come together to push our city officials to address problems at their root.
Nehemiah Action to focus on police-community relations, student literacy, discipline and youth mental health
At our April 7 Nehemiah Action we are bringing together 1,000 concerned and committed Louisville citizens to press officials to implement or bolster best practice solutions to issues like police-community relations, literacy and discipline in Jefferson County Public Schools, and the youth mental health crisis. These are issues that have plagued our community for years, and over time have grown out of control…