NBCI Calls for $25 million Anti-Violence Program After Will Smith’s Incident

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES, May 10, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino churches representing 27.7 million members reaches out to Hollywood after the Will Smith incident and calls to launch a five -year, $25 million Anti-Violence program.

Given this unacceptable incident exhibited by Mr. Smith combined with the upheaval of our society during the pandemic, economic downturns, and wars abroad and subsequent impact within our communities, NBCI cannot sit by silently around violence on TV.

NBCI understands that if we see these types of events occur and say nothing, particularly given the moral authority of the Black church within society that Bless babies, unite and marry, and perform all sorts of God-human affirming ceremonies, then we, as a faith-based organization, would have shut our responsibility to All Mighty God and to all members of our society.

While we understand that Mr. Smith has resigned from the Academy and has been banned to all events and activities for the next ten years, those sanctions are insufficient and will not end the ripple effect of that incident within our communities. Thus, it remains imperative that the Black Church says something and is fundamentally necessary to the ethical and cultural survival of our society.

Rev Evans, President of NBCI said, “The 2022 Oscar Awards and what transpired on the night of Sunday, March 27, 2022, between Will Smith and Chris Rock, created a ripple effect within the African American communities I serve. The act of violence, as exhibited by Will Smith, is not only unacceptable, but feeds into a historic belief of violence and injustice that many in the religious community perceive of Hollywood. What our members, young and old, witnessed that night can affect them greatly – especially when violence is rampant in many low-income Black communities.

Unfortunately, the incident reaffirmed this belief that the persisting culture of Hollywood runs counter to what we promote as the need for a just and peaceful society.”

NBCI has reached out to the leaders of the Academy Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences to collaborate on a ground breaking Anti-Violence Program to discourage acts of violence in our communities.

About the NBCI

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino Churches working to eradicate racial disparities in healthcare, technology, education, housing, and the environment. The NBCI’s mission is to provide critical wellness information to all of its members and the public.

We offer faith-based, out-of-the-box, cutting-edge solutions to stubborn economic and social issues. Our solutions are backed by statistical analysis, science-based strategies and techniques, and methods that work.

The NBCI’s purpose is to partner with major organizations and officials whose mission is to reduce racial disparities in the areas cited above. Visit our website at https://www.naltblackchurch.com/.

Anthony Evans
National Black Church Initiative (NBCI)
+1 2027440184
email us here