By David Mattingly, WAVE
In the wake of an eye-opening and unflattering report on the history of police abuse in Black communities, Louisville religious leaders continued to call for action from Mayor Craig Greenberg’s Administration.
“There can’t be transformation of police and our community into a compassionate community without getting the full truth,” Rabbi Robert Slosberg said Tuesday.
Released in January, the report on “The History of Policing in Louisville” details police abuses in the black community going back generations.
The organization called CLOUT, Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together, representing 24 congregations across the city, supports listening sessions between police and victims of police abuse as a way to facilitate reconciliation.
“It’s more than good acts of PR,” Reverend Dr. Angela Johnson, CLOUT Community Safety and Equity Co-Chair, said. “There needs to be, just like anything else, if you don’t deal with the truth, it’s still there.”
“I think you can’t get the truth and healing without people having an opportunity to express the pain that has been ongoing,” Slosberg, CLOUT Vice-president said.
Greenberg pushed back Tuesday on complaints that his administration tried to rush the report’s researchers.
”Any assertions to the contrary that the city is trying to rush someone’s work is just simply false,” Greenberg said to reporters.
In March of 2023, Greenberg made history publicly apologizing for past police abuses.
In remarks Tuesday morning, Greenberg did not specifically mention CLOUT’s interest in listening sessions.
”We need now, knowing what our history was, we are all committed to moving forward,” Greenberg said.
CLOUT’s leaders questioned the administration’s resolve.
”I don’t know,” Slosberg said. “I hope that, especially given the strong acknowledgment of harm by the Mayor and the Chief of Police, that they’re all in.”
Late Tuesday afternoon, CLOUT may have the answer it was looking for.
“We are in the planning stages of a series of community conversations and listening sessions,” Greenberg spokesman Kevin Trager said, “using trained facilitators in safe and healthy environments.”
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