The Burden We're Willing to Carry

Last night I spent my time praying for Akron. My city. My home. My family.

Like you, I watched the press conference of Attorney General Dave Yost and learned the results of the special grand jury, that there would be no criminal charges in the killing of Jayland Walker. The news hit me like a rock. The weight of this decision, much like the wait for justice, has grown heavy. Too heavy for us to carry alone.

That evening I went to the press conference at St. Ashworth Temple where the Walker family and their attorneys responded to the results. I stood in the pews of the church as Jayland’s mother, Pam Walker, entered towards the platform. As she walked down the aisle, I could see the pain on her face, the sadness in her eyes, the weight upon her shoulders. And as the press conference unfolded, my focus remained on her. I watched as she sat in tears, at times audibly overcome. This was too much for her. How could it not be so?

As she exited the platform and was led back down the aisle, I noticed a difference. Her steps were heavier, her eyes laden, her strength abated. How has she endured such pain? I looked at her and thought of my own mother. My heart ached for her, and Jada, the entire Walker family, and our city. It was then that I was reminded of a passage of scripture: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” I knew it was an appeal for action. One that would call us to look and extend beyond ourselves, our experiences, and our own conceptions, to see the burdens upon our brothers, the yearnings of our youth, the plight of our people.

From the streets today I watched as construction vehicles moved heavy barricades into place throughout downtown. And yet all I could think of was would we as a city come together to carry the burdens laid upon our brothers’ backs, those that are far heavier than concrete. These are the burdens of untold years of injustice, of lives lost, humanity devalued, dreams deferred, and voices unheard. Burdens that cannot be carried as long as we stand apart, wondering why those of us still under their weight continue to struggle.

Some may ask what part do I have to play in this? This is not my fight. This is not my struggle. My answer is simple – because we are family. There is no Akron without all of us. No progress unless none of us are left behind. And no real sense of community unless members of every race, creed and color unite behind the righteous cause of justice, accountability, and truth.

This is the time where we as a city must forge a new direction. There must be systemic change and reform in our law enforcement, one built upon trust, transparency, and accountability, and still ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods and communities. This is not the end of the process. The FBI will now look into the case, civil proceedings will move forward, and I sincerely thank Congresswoman Emilia Sykes for calling for the DOJ to investigate our methods of policing in order to enact much needed reforms and help move our city forward. But as we continue this journey, I humbly ask the question. Will we carry the burdens of our brothers and sisters? Our mothers? Fathers? Our sons and daughters? Will we bear one another’s burdens, those that have crippled our city, and conflicted our consciousness? The hope of Akron depends on our answer. I have decided it is a burden I will willingly carry. As long as it takes, and as far as the road before us.

Mark U. Greer