Thousands invited to stand united against racial violence, to lament, and to petition God and legislators for change
ATLANTA, June 8, 2020 – Following a week of protests as a result of recent racially motivated acts of violence and on the heels of its press conference to announce “The OneRace Statement on Righteousness and Justice: A call to end Racial Violence,” the OneRace Movement has confirmed the location for a March on Atlanta scheduled for June 19. Participants will convene at 9 a.m. EDT for prayer and worship at Centennial Olympic Park and then process around the Capital, before returning to the park.
“We talk a lot about knowing, owning and changing the story,” said OneRace co-director Josh Clemons “The story right now is tension and violence surrounding the many events that have precipitated this moment. We must own it in prayer, intercession and lament, and must move forward together to change the story for generations to come.”
The OneRace Movement began its efforts toward reconciliation two years ago with its first large gathering on Stone Mountain. Nearly 25,000 individuals from a wide variety of cultural and denominational backgrounds came together to repent of the past sins of racism, affirm the Church’s leadership role in overcoming our nation’s divisive past, and commit to a new unity as believers through the Atlanta Covenant. Those signing their name to the document committed to stand against racism in every form, never again allowing it to gain a foothold within their spheres of influence.
“We went to the top of Stone Mountain and made a covenant together, and now it is time to make good on that pledge,” OneRace co-director Hazen Stevens said. “We invite every individual to stand with us at the very heart of our city as we declare to every sphere of our society and every segment of our government that we want policies that are going to reflect that. We want real change that will unravel systemic racism of every kind.
“We know this work begins in a place of united prayer, beseeching our great God and Savior to release His transforming grace, and so we are going to call on both God and our civic authorities that we would see change in this moment,” Stevens continued.
The event is being called “March on Atlanta” in honor of the great non-violent Civil Rights era protests and is being held on Juneteenth to remember the historic date of emancipation, while calling for liberty and justice for all in present times. The group has secured initial authorization from Georgia World Congress Center Authority and intends to host the event in compliance with all guidelines governing an outdoor gathering, including CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This will be the first sanctioned gathering at Centennial Olympic Park since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and the crowd size will be limited to 6,000, so it is important for those who want to attend to register early.
Part of what the group will be petitioning legislators for during the March, as outlined in “The OneRace Statement on Righteousness and Justice: A call to end Racial Violence,” includes:
For the law creators, law interpreters and law enforcers in the state of Georgia to put fresh eyes on the current statutes, and to work to ensure that the laws are written and enforced in ways that are equitable towards all.
For elected representatives to make such changes, and for law enforcement at every level to act expeditiously against racially motivated crimes.
“At this critical moment in history, our generation is raising its voice to decry racism in the streets of our nation in an unprecedented way,” Clemons said. “The hurt, outrage and pain is deeply felt because of the violence we have seen unfold toward people of color in the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. It is for a moment like this that God has been preparing the OneRace Movement, our mission being ‘teaching a city to love, regardless of color, class, or culture.’“
For more information and to register to join the March on Atlanta, visit the Facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/251745402592645.
About OneRace
OneRace is a primarily young adult movement of hundreds of churches and ministries throughout Atlanta and around the U.S. working through prayer and fasting, relationship and collaboration, to displace the spirit of racism and release a movement of racial reconciliation across Atlanta, the Southeast and the nation. Through persistent prayer, authentic relationship and redemptive justice, OneRace exists to raise up a movement of racial reconciliation and revival. For more information, please visit http://oneracemovement.com.
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