GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK)- A local group called ‘One Dream Team’ hosted its second annual ‘Unity Walk’ event in Green Bay Saturday.
The group started the event last year after the 2016 police shooting of a Minnesota black man.
After the nation’s recent focus shifted attention to race, violence and tension, community members of the Green Bay area knew they didn’t want to be part of that statistic.
Donald Spencer started the Unity Walk last year in hopes of building bonds between police, firefighters and the people they protect.
He spoke to WLUK.
“I’m here now doing this event trying to show the community, not just the community, but people in general that we’re all not evil, we’re all not bad.”
However, one parent isn’t convinced that a single event can make a difference.
“I think they need to put in more effort,” Tyesha Jackson said. “Just a walk is not going to cure everything in our community.”
Jackson is worried about the future of her children. She hopes officers come around more often to be a visible presence in the neighborhoods and a role model for the kids.
“When they’re out in the community, not with their parents, they’re getting taught things they have no business doing.”
Green Bay Police Captain Kevin Warych says officers say they too can’t do their job without local residents.
“The community is just as vital as every police officers in this community because we’re working together, because there are eyes and ears where we can’t be.”
My Brothers Keeper, a mentoring program, partnered up with One Dream Team to put the event together. The group says it hopes participants take something away from the walk.
“If there’s anything we would like to accomplish, if we do it together, it can happen,” Jason Wright said. “So, that’s basically what we would hope everybody gets from this. That together we’re united.”
Together, community members hope to ease tensions on the streets.
