By Jesse Wood
Aug. 19, 2014. The Watauga branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will hold a candlelight vigil and peaceful prayer for Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9.
The vigil will be held at 8 p.m. at the Wells Fargo intersection of N.C. 105 and Blowing Rock Road in Boone on Saturday, Aug. 23.
Yesterday, the local branch released a statement on Facebook:
“Too often, the indefensible fear of black and brown bodies and the abuse of power by an unlawful few in blue uniforms have produced fatal results.
Our prayers continue to go out to the family, friends and neighbors of 18-year-old Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri. The death of yet another African-American at the hands of those sworn to protect and serve the community where he lived is heartbreaking.
As the NAACP’s Missouri State Conference and Saint Louis Branch seek answers about the circumstances surrounding Michael Brown’s death, the National office will remain vigilant until accountability and justice are served for the countless individuals who lose their lives to misguided policy practices in Ferguson, and throughout the country.
We also call on those we have elected to office to become our partners in the fight for equality and fairness. For now is the time to ensure that all communities can live safely – both safe from violence at the hands of criminals and at the hands of police.
Even as we call for accountability by those charged with protecting the community, we call on the community to act–collectively and calmly until justice is secured for the family of Michael Brown.”
For more information, click to the Facebook event page or click here.