Church

A local Methodist church in a neighborhood that was historically African-American, now being "gentrified" and attracting residents of all races, hosted a service of prayer for local activists on Sunday, and I was asked to record the event in photographs. A minister from a nearby church brought his guitar and his uncle, who led the clapping during the songs. The activists being honored included (see extra) Peggy Zebroski, the 66-year-old woman who was slammed to the ground and bloodied by the police on February 20. Her face is still bruised behind her glasses. When I took her photo, she was sitting next to a woman activist who witnessed her arrest.

One member of the church asked us to observe that there were no African-American males between the ages of ten and forty. He said most are in jail for petty offenses like smoking marijuana (which is now legal in Oregon), petty theft, and minor traffic violations. He reminded us that the USA has the highest per-capita rate of incarceration of any country in the world. He thanked us for the work we are doing to bring an end to racial profiling, but he pointed out that our work is little and late for many of the young male children of the neighborhood.