Akron's Black community meets for discussion circles on Jayland Walker decision

Jasmina Waters, program manager for Akron Public Schools, hugs a guest before an event for people to share their feelings about the grand jury decision in the Jayland Walker shooting Friday at Buchtel Community Learning Center in Akron.
Jasmina Waters, program manager for Akron Public Schools, hugs a guest before an event for people to share their feelings about the grand jury decision in the Jayland Walker shooting Friday at Buchtel Community Learning Center in Akron.

Dozens of community members, including students, school staff members and other adults took turns sharing their feelings and telling their stories about how the death of Jayland Walker and subsequent events have affected them at a community event Friday at Buchtel Community Learning Center.

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The meeting was organized by the school district in conjunction with the city and Akron Police Department, along with organizations including 100 Black Men Akron, Minority Behavioral Health, The Freedom BLOC, Love Akron, The Remedy Church and Project Ujima.

Attendees broke off into small groups to discuss how they feel about their relationships with Akron police during the event Friday at Buchtel CLC in Akron.
Attendees broke off into small groups to discuss how they feel about their relationships with Akron police during the event Friday at Buchtel CLC in Akron.

"The goal of the event is to bring the community together for healing and positive change regarding the Jayland Walker (ruling)," said organizer Dreama Mason Whitfield, a counselor with the school district.

"The event was definitely a success," she said later. "The community engagement confirmed there is a need for further conversations, and conversations are the beginning of healing and change."

The highlight of the meeting focused on in-circle conversations facilitated by Minority Behavioral Health Group and Project Ujima.

Eight Akron officers fatally shot Jayland Walker 46 times on June 27 after he led officers on a crosstown car chase, during which an investigation concluded the 25-year-old Black man fired a single shot from his vehicle. Walker was unarmed and running in a ski mask when he was shot after a short foot chase near Wilbeth Road and South Main Street. A handgun was found in his vehicle.

Akron residents were encouraged to write what they felt their community needs during a safe space event at Buchtel CLC.
Akron residents were encouraged to write what they felt their community needs during a safe space event at Buchtel CLC.

Akron’s police union defended the officers’ action as consistent with their training, while Walker’s family decried his death as senseless and said he was not a criminal. Walker’s fiancée had died in a traffic crash weeks earlier.

After a months-long investigation, a Summit County Grand jury declined to indict the eight officers, who remain unnamed by the department.

Discussion circles in a 'family reunion' atmosphere

Kemp Boyd, of Love Akron and head of the city's newly formed police oversight board, said the number of people who showed up at Friday's event was encouraging. After gathering in the school's cafeteria, participants were put in groups and moved into classrooms for discussion circles focused on the topics of peace, relationships and healing.

"All the people that are here and the fellowship that's happening, that's what we want," Boyd said. "This is Memorial Day weekend, so it looks like an old-school family reunion. Everybody just have a good fellowship and have good conversation and discussion. But the bottom line is it's about relationship and that's what we want to help to spur on here today, but also give everybody an opportunity to kind of speak and use their voice."

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Allyson Strickland, of the office of school improvement for Akron Public Schools and The Remedy Church, discussed the church's support for the event.

She said that under the Rev. Deante Lavender, the church has teamed up with other organizations to support the community and provide resources.

In this case, it's to "ensure people know how to share their voice, how they can voice their opinions, give back to the community and really have an impact in Akron," she said. "Because a lot of times people have ideas, but they may not know who to go to or what resources they have to support that idea."

Concerns about police key in discussions

In one group, a woman who works for the city shared her views of some police officers. Her concerns mirrored those of others who had spoken before her.

"I feel like a lot of them feel like they're privileged because they're behind suits or whatever, and they don't want to build a relationship with us because they think they're, I don't know − more privileged," she said. "I work for the city of Akron too. I work downtown around a lot of these officers, and they don't even speak. Like, we pull up and get gas at the same pump. They don't even speak to us, but then speak to somebody of their own when they pull up.

"I really don't know what to say about a lot of these officers, and they're bringing a lot of their kind in and they are training them to be like them ... You know, I'm saying we don't see nobody our color over here."

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Another woman described a general feeling of distrust when dealing with police, and in some cases what she said was insensitive and threatening behavior.

"They always turn to pull the gun out, to shoot us, and then they give us tricks − stuff to do when they stop us: 'Put your hands up. Pull your license out.' You know? I'm saying they want us to do a million things. We trying to figure it out, but we're human," she said.

Another woman, who said she has returned to Akron after some years, noted she once had been friends with many Akron police.

"Now I feel like I am a stranger. I feel like I am not really seen or really even heard; who I am as a person isn't necessarily valued by those who participate in the law enforcement in general," she said.

She said that one solution perhaps would be to improve communication with police.

"I think that we educate others as to how we want to be treated and I think that as a community, that's something that we need to return to," she said. "Because of systemic racism and oppression and different things that happen and that we all know is occurring in our community, it is very difficult to sometimes address.

"You know that this isn't the way that we are in our community. I'm not sure where you learn what you learn or where you picked up what you picked up. That is not how we are in our community. As a matter of fact, let me show you this is how we love one another. This is how we take care of our own and how we support each other."

Akron's presumptive next mayor, Shammas Malik, right, sits down with concerned citizens Friday at Buchtel CLC.
Akron's presumptive next mayor, Shammas Malik, right, sits down with concerned citizens Friday at Buchtel CLC.

Presumptive Mayor-elect Malik vows focus on 'engaging young people'

Presumptive Akron Mayor-elect Shammas Malik also attended, along with political leaders including Ward 4 Councilman Russ Neal, At-Large Councilwoman Linda Omobien, and Summit County Council President Veronica Sims.

Malik said his administration would try to build relationships between people.

"One of the things that we really want to focus on is engaging young people," he said. "I think we often talk about young people and we need to talk with young people. These kids are brilliant, but we need to kind of really be able to assess and then when we hear the things they want to focus on."

As an example, he referred to a student at Firestone CLC who will be entering her third year of high school who wants to organize an event for disabled children.

"Let's support the things they want to unlock and they want to see in action. So it's going to be a big focus of our administration is really making sure young people feel empowered and heard ... a big thing is making sure that young people have activities after the school day that they want to engage in, right?" he added. "If you've got all these kids with dirt bikes or ATVs, we either have to make sure there's a safe place where they can use them, or make sure that they're involved in a different kind of activity if we can't make sure that's going to be safe."

"But again, you have to be present to be listening and then we find solutions," he said.

Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarottaEric.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Black community meets at Buchtel to discuss Jayland Walker death