MORE Justice holds fifth annual Community Problems Assembly to identify top priorities for community research and action

By Staff Writer of Carolina Panorama

Midlands Organized Response for Equity and Justice (MORE Justice), an interfaith coalition of 35 racially, socio-economically and religiously diverse congregations, held their fifth annual Community Problems Assembly (CPA) on Monday, October 25, 2021 at Reid Chapel AME Church (704 Gabriel Street).

The CPA brought together around 300 people of faith both in-person and on zoom to reaffirm our commitment to “do justice,” and to prioritize community-wide problem areas for research and action. This year, more than 55 “house meetings” took place during which more than 500 Richland and Lexington County residents answered the question: “What keeps you up at night?” The top problem areas surfaced were: gun violence, mental health, affordable housing, and the way people are impacted by the environment. This includes the impact of floods, heat, storms, and pollution on people in the community.

On October 25th, the gathered community voted on whether to continue the ongoing work in the areas of Gun Violence, Mental Health, and Affordable Housing and/or to address additional community problems.

MORE Justice is dedicated to seeking justice for all residents of the Central Midlands area by holding systems accountable for fair practices and policies.

For more information, contact Maryann Wright, MORE Justice Communications Officer at (732) 672-2119 or akachip53@gmail.com.