AHOSKIE – “Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere.”

Those words, from the lips of New Ahoskie Baptist Church minister and Ahoskie Mayor Pro Tem C. David Stackhouse, filtered over a crowd in excess of 100 gathered in the parking lot of his church late Sunday afternoon.

Stackhouse, accompanied by Rev. Bill Haddock of Ahoskie United Methodist Church and Rev. Ray Faircloth of Higher Ground Church – along with members of their respective churches and others – joined hands and marched peacefully from the Ahoskie Police Station to New Ahoskie Church.

Appropriately, the march began at precisely 7:07 p.m. and ended at New Ahoskie with the lighting of seven candles, symbolic of the seven lives lost last week – two black men killed by white police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota; and five white law enforcement officers gunned down in the streets of Dallas, Texas by a black gunman vowing revenge in the deaths of his brothers.

Prior to Sunday’s march and rally, Stackhouse said he felt the need to calm the fears and anxieties of the local public.

“This type of violence and the use of deadly force has to end. There is no justification for the shooting deaths of two black men by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota, and there is no need for the horrific and deadly retaliation against the police like we saw on Thursday night in Dallas,” Stackhouse said in an article that appeared in Saturday’s edition of the R-C News-Herald.

On Sunday, standing on the steps leading into his church, Stackhouse’s words were more defined as he addressed those participating in the “Stop the Violence” peace march.

“Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in God’s sight,” said Stackhouse, quoting the words of C. Herbert Woolston in the children’s bible song, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.”

Involving the young people in the crowd, Stackhouse invited the children to join him to light the seven candles as the names of those killed were read aloud – Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, and Lorne Ahrens.

“I am weary of being judged not by my character, but because of the color of my skin,” Stackhouse. “Change cannot come from President Obama; change cannot come from Congress; change cannot be legislated; change has to begin with you and with me.

“We must make up our minds that there is no place for racism in Ahoskie or any of our local communities,” Stackhouse continued as the crowd erupted in applause. “How are we going to make it in heaven if we can’t get along here on earth.”

He referenced law enforcement officers as “people too.”

“Sheriff (Juan) Vaughan is here today; ask him what he does every morning….he gets up and puts on his clothes just like you and I; he cries when something happens in his life that’s emotional, just like you and I; only his job is different. It’s his job to enforce the law….if you’re speeding, he’ll write you a ticket; if you have committed a crime, he will arrest you. Don’t badmouth him just because he’s doing his job. If you want to avoid him while he’s doing his job, then don’t speed or commit a crime.”

Stackhouse encouraged those assembled to hug a law enforcement officer in attendance.

“And remember, as my 99-year-old mother says, one bad apple does not spoil the whole barrel,” he noted. “Just because there is some isolated injustice within law enforcement across our nation, there’s also injustice within some of our homes. There’s some injustice at your job; it’s everywhere. We have to cry out when things are not right.

“We’re going to stamp out racism here, one day, one person at the time,” Stackhouse declared. “We need to be kind to one another. Change must come from the church outwards. We, as the local churches, need to come out and knock on doors to promote love and denounce hate. We are all the sons and daughters of God….our skin color is different, but we’re all the same inside.”

Stackhouse invited Rev. James Shearn of Jordan Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Winton to share a passage of scripture that can be applied to the tragic events from last week.

Quoting God’s words from Second Chronicles, chapter seven, verse 14, Shearn said, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

In his opening prayer, Rev. Haddock said the God sees all of his human creations as the same, however, “we (mankind) made divisions.”

“We have not been obedient. We have not broken down barriers between races,” Haddock’s prayer continued. “We have not respected our law enforcement. We have not been teaching our children the values of loving one another. So often we think of ourselves as better than someone else.”

Haddock said that in those violent days of last week, “We have to do better and say it’s time to stop this violence and start loving one another.”

He encouraged those listening to his voice to, “leave here today and continue to walk hand-in-hand for love, justice and peace.

“We’ve been moved by the injustice we witnessed with our own eyes last week,” Haddock added. “We’ve seen the results of violence, and we know there is a better way. We pray for those families involved in these tragedies.”

Rev. Faircloth offered the closing prayer.

“Love is not what you say, but rather what you do,” he said. “We have all tripped and fell at times, but God is there to pick us up. We always need to realize that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one race – the human race. We are brothers and sisters together. If change is to come, it starts at the church house and at our house.”

As the crowd made their way around the parking lot to greet and hug law enforcement officers, Sheriff Vaughan appeared relieved.

“After what happened last week, we needed this; I needed this,” Vaughan said in between hugs and having his photo taken by different individuals as he posed with their family members. “Last week really knocked me to my knees, but I was lifted up here today and I really appreciate this great turnout and the message that was delivered.”

As a follow up, Stackhouse is now attempting to put together a town hall style meeting in an effort to discuss gun violence. Follow this newspaper for forthcoming details on that event.