KANSAS CITY, Mo. — "Show some love, get to know a person you didn’t meet."
That was the goal at Spring Valley Park in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday for an event organized by District 3 Councilman Brandon Ellington.
"One Love Community Engagement Series sponsored by the No More Excuses Coalition, which is an initiative out of my office," Ellington said. "It’s basically exactly what it is, try to bring unity back to the community."
No more excuses, Ellington said, brought on by the urgency of the moment.
"We’re in the midst of a pandemic," he said, "in the midst of protests, in the midst of an epidemic of murder. All of this has to be addressed by the community collectively."
Charles Johnson, executive director of I Am My Brother's Keeper said, "It has to come from us as a community to address the violence, the unemployment, homelessness, economic problems, we have to address that as a community, as one. As one."
A socially distanced event like this is why elected officials want to meet the community face to face and preach what they call, community self determination.
"The community has to be determined in controlling all institutions and social norms in their area," Ellington said. "By creating platforms like this, it’s exactly what we’re trying to direct."
Organizers also hope to direct that message to the younger crowd in attendance.
"Mentoring is special to my heart," Charles Johnson said. "Catch one young and groom him as a young man."
They're working to set up Kansas City's children for success, by creating a community that looks out for each other.
