COVER STORY
SOCIAL JUSTICE:
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Bishop Mark Tolbert Senior Pastor Victorious Life Church 1st Assistant Presiding Bishop of the PAW Heart of America Council of Churches, Diocesan
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n November of 2017, Bishop Mark Tolbert was recommended to the Governor of Missouri as the community person of choice to be appointed to serve on the Board of Police Commissioners for the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Now, in the 4th year of his tenure, the other four commissioners voted unanimously for Bishop Tolbert to serve as the President of the Board of Police Commissioners.
The Kansas City Police Department is overseen by a five-member Board of Police Commissioners, made up of the Mayor and four Kansas City, Missouri, residents appointed by the Missouri Governor. The board oversees a $249 million annual budget and over 2,000 sworn members and civilian employees. Sitting on Missouri’s western boundary with Kansas, with Downtown near the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri
Rivers, the city encompasses about 319.03 square miles (826.3 km2), making it the 23rd largest city, by total area, in the United States. It serves as one of the two county seats of Jackson County, along with major suburb cities. When asked what his vision is for the Kansas City Police Department, Bishop Tolbert stated, “My goal is to see the police department of Kansas
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THE CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK
City protect and serve all citizens of the city. I grew up in Kansas City when “officer friendly” was a popular term. Officers walked streets, rode bicycles and actively participated in community policing. My hope is that we can return to some similarity of those days of community. We talk unity; I am convinced that you can’t have unity without COMM-UNITY. My hope is to work closely with the Mayor, Police Chief, City Council, Board of Police Commissioners and the Civic Council to bring about a synergy that fosters community. We cannot expect people to be content when the wealth gap, education gap, and digital gap continue to grow. There must be some equity along the way that includes developing a level playing field where everyone can participate in building wealth, expanding educational opportunities, business startups etc. We must come together as a community to make sure there are jobs for youth, training for adults, micro loans for small businesses and an overall perceived sense of hope. Hope that all people, no matter what side of town or even in midtown, live by the same rules and are treated fairly by police, insurance companies, bankers and all the entities and components that it takes to make comm-unity. As the newly elected president of the police commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri, I ask the citizens of the city to pray for peace and volunteer your time, talent and resources toward making Kansas City one of the most friendly and livable cities in the United Stated of America.” So, what does social justice look like in 2021 and beyond? Many people ask that question but few are in a position to make an impact. Marching is good. Going to community meetings is good. Getting involved in dialogue in your community is great. My goal is to encourage as many as possible to get off the side lines and stop getting angry on social media with people who don’t agree with you and do something meaningful. Run for office. Petition your city council, your aldermen your senators and
“POSITIONED FOR PROMISE”
JULY/AUGUST 2021
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