A non-partisan, non-sectarian effort aimed at breaking down biases and building bridges between law enforcement and the communities they serve, the second annual Faith & Blue is set for Friday, October 8 through Monday, October 11, 2021. The mission is to facilitate safer, stronger, and more unified communities by connecting law enforcement officers and residents through local houses of worship.
The event will serve as the culmination of National Community Policing Week. Faith & Blue, the nation's largest police-community outreach initiative, is convened by MovementForward, Inc., an inclusive social change organization working to protect, promote, and advance the civil and human rights of all people, and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
Faith & Blue is a historic effort involving every major national law enforcement group in the United States of America along with the federal agencies most directly engaged with local law enforcement. The co-organizers include:
- Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
- Fraternal Order of Police
- Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
- International Association of Chiefs of Police
- International Brotherhood of Police Officers
- International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators
- International Association of Chiefs of Police
- International Conference of Police Chaplains
- Major Cities Chiefs Association
- Major County Sheriffs of America
- National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys
- National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives
- National Black Police Association
- National District Attorneys’ Association
- National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Museum
- National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition
- National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
- National Police Foundation
- National Sheriffs’ Association
- Police Executive Research Forum
These national partnerships are matched by an unprecedented collaboration with more than 50 state sheriffs’, police chiefs’, and prosecutors’ associations from coast to coast. Each of these associations is working to bring Faith & Blue to agencies throughout their respective states.
During National Faith & Blue Weekend 2021, law enforcement agencies across the United States will partner with faith-based and other community organizations to host public activities focused on repairing and strengthening the bond between communities and those that protect them. The activities will include forums and town halls, peace and unity walks and marches, picnics, athletic events, vigils, and other activities that foster an environment of problem-solving, resolution, and reconciliation. Activities will be conducted in a socially distanced manner, in small groups, and virtually.
“For the past several years, we've seen enormous strains in the relationship between law enforcement and communities,” says MovementForward CEO and Faith & Blue lead organizer Rev. Markel Hutchins. “Recent times have proven that we cannot simply march and protest away the problems — we have to turn our pain into power,” continues Rev. Hutchins. “Our pathway to progress around policing as a nation is a collaborative one that focuses on our commonalities rather than our differences.”
In its inaugural year of 2020, National Faith & Blue Weekend facilitated 1,000 community-led activities in 43 states and the District of Columbia. Rev. Hutchins says he believes the compounded stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and the perilous strains on police-community relations across the country brought about a need to strengthen connections with local law enforcement through solutions-focused partnerships in every neighborhood in America.
National Faith & Blue Weekend is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T and the Motorola Solutions Foundation.
”Faith-based organizations and law enforcement groups are uniquely and deeply tied to their communities and it is through collaborative and respectful dialogue that common ground can be found,” says Jason Porter, president, Public Sector and FirstNet, AT&T. “As America’s public safety partner, it’s our honor to support the grassroots effort of Faith & Blue Weekend to strengthen police-community relations in neighborhoods across the country.”
"Motorola Solutions Foundation is honored to support National Faith & Blue Weekend as it drives important conversations and strengthens connections between law enforcement and communities across the United States," says Jack Molloy, Board Member, Motorola Solutions Foundation and Executive Vice President of Products, Sales & Services, Motorola Solutions.
For more information about National Faith & Blue Weekend, or to find an event near you, visit www.faithandblue.org.
To watch press conference held on August 31st announcing Faith & Blue Weekend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KsARyuS8lM&t=227s
ABOUT NATIONAL FAITH & BLUE WEEKEND
National Faith & Blue Weekend (Faith & Blue) is a collaborative initiative that builds bridges and breaks down biases through activities and outreach amongst law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve. Faith & Blue is based on the premise that strong communities are built on mutual respect and understanding. Law enforcement entities and faith-based organizations are both key pillars of local communities, and when they work together, neighborhoods thrive. Faith & Blue is a nationalization of the One Congregation One Precinct initiative (OneCOP), a program of MovementForward, Inc. which is a solutions-focused, social change organization based in Atlanta, Georgia led by noted human and civil rights leader, the Rev. Markel Hutchins. Faith & Blue organizers represent every major national law enforcement group and faith tradition in the United States of America.
Visit National Faith & Blue Weekend at www.faithandblue.org or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. #FaithandBlue
