In light of recent national events, the Omaha community has come together to find common ground. Just over a week ago, social media was hit like a wild fire with very brutal videos’s of unarmed innocent black men being murdered by police officers who took an oath to serve and protect their respective communities to only be followed by multiple police officers being murdered in Dallas, Texas. The majority of us were left wondering how and why this is happening.
Some very dedicated citizens within our own community decided enough is enough and something needs to change. And that change needs to start here, in our state, and within our communities. I am so proud to see Omaha take a stand. Over the weekend, a peaceful protest was set up allowing people to stand up for what they believe in. It is estimated over 500 people attended the protest. Many held signs saying “All Lives Matter”, “White Silence is Violence, “Stop Police Brutality”, “Protect and Serve, Not Profile and Execute. The idea was to show Dallas and the rest of the nation that we can be civil and we need the violence to stop.
Since the peaceful protest, there have been a handful of individuals that have stepped up the the plate to keep the momentum going. The whole goal is to unite with one another to create a positive change. One particular on-going event that really sticks out has been termed “Fathers in the Park” and has been set up by Ronnie Alexander which focuses on the fathers and children of the Omaha community. Here is a short description of the groups intentions that can be found on the groups Facebook page:
“As fathers we are pivotal in the growth and development of our community. Our impact is vast and DEEP routed through our seeds. By way of our children everyone of us has the power to implement the change we want to see in our community. So let’s create a biweekly open door event where we come together as men with our children. While our kids play together and build life long friendships and memories, the fathers build bonds as well. We teach each other, tell our parenting stories, pool resources and just create a space where we can start some dialogue.If you don’t have your kids come anyways, if you are having trouble seeing your kids for one reason or another there will be people there that can help! This is informal come as you are, it cost nothing and your not expected to bring anything but yourself. Benson park has grills, a splash pad, lake, basketball courts and great play ground. So you can fish, run through the water, swing or get dunked on! Also this is not limited to just fathers, it is open door so anyone that would like to attend and bless us with you presence you’re more than welcome to attend.”
To keep up with this awesome movement please visit the groups Facebook group page – Fathers in the Park. Any events will also be listed on Now Omaha’s Calendar page as well.
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