SALISBURY — A community meeting “to restore pride and hope” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Miller Recreation Center, 1402 W. Bank St.
The meeting is hosted by the West End Community Organization, West End Pride Organization and The Chamber (not the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce).
Organizers emphasize that this is not a black community event or a white community event, but an entire community event.
“Crime has either a direct or indirect impact on everyone in this city,” Ken Hardin says. “Every time a child is killed and left laying alone on our streets, a home is shot into or someone’s home is burglarized, it impacts us all.”
The sponsoring groups want people to come together to have an open and honest discussion and begin work on creating a plan that everyone can take back to their respective communities to work on.
Speakers include Master Trooper Clee Atkinson Jr., who will talk about recognizing gang activity.
Alex Clark, a motivational speaker who is a former drug dealer and federal inmate, will talk about “Getting Out and Staying Out of the Drug Life.”
There will also be an open forum to discuss community concerns and a chance to complete a survey to help create a community agenda.