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Black pastors share thoughts on how to continue Black Lives Matter movement after protests end

Published  June 11, 2020 6:09pm EDT
Black Lives Matter Movement
FOX 2 Detroit

(FOX 2) - Big crowds in cities across America have been protesting police brutality in the last few weeks. But the marches won't continue forever, so what happens to the movement when the organized events come to an end? 

Rev. Keyon Payton of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac is confident that this time the movement is sticking and translating to real change.  

How the Black Lives Matter movement can continue once the protests end

We talk with two pastors who share their thoughts on how the Black Lives Matter movement can continue on once all the organized events and rallies come to an end.

"I think we have an opportunity, a rich opportunity now, particularly in the Black community to really talk about policy reform that needs to happen and a policy agenda that we know is really important. I'm excited about some of the work that the Congressional Black Caucus is doing, I'm excited about some of the work that the NAACP is doing," he said.  

Another Reverend who is very familiar with protests is Rev. WJ Rideout III. 

He says spending dollars at Black-owned businesses is a way to lift up the community, and then the biggest movement that can be made is on Election Day. 

Rideout says the election is just about the White House. It's about local city council races and grassroots politics, something he says Millennials get more than others.  

"We have about 78 - 80 million Millennials out here and who do you see protesting more? You see more millennials protesting in every ethnicity than you do anywhere," he said.  

The demographics of these protests look different, too. 

But the work will continue in our communities.  

"The best way for a real genuine white people to help us is to speak up, to speak out, to stand up, to come against it. To tell your friends, tell your family, educate your sons and daughters that it's not about racism, it's not about discrimination, it's not about hate and antagonizing people, and when you find this kind of thing going on in these communities all over, someone that's white or not Black or not Brown, you need to stand up and speak the truth," Rev. Rideout said. 

"Historically, we've always seen African-Americans marching and on the front lines you have a few members of the Jewish community and others who would be standing in solidarity but now, we are seeing in many streets across America more of the majority culture," Rev. Payton says. 

Rev. Payton says everyone is welcome to the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac on Sunday, June 14 at 10 a.m. for another protest with prayer.