Hundreds of Bostonians – black, white, young and old – came together inside the historic Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury Tuesday night for a Forum on Ferguson.
"We must no longer be reactive but proactive to the reality that black lives do matter," said youth minister Rev. Willie Bodrick, II.
The candid conversation with clergy, politicians and other community leaders followed the grand jury decision not to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson, who is white, in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, who was black.
"It has touched us all, it has touched a nerve within us, but what is also a tragedy can be also an opportunity," said Reverend Jeffrey Brown.
Rev. Brown said there is a need to acknowledge there is still a problem with racism in our country and in our communities - and an even bigger need to find a way to do something about it.
"I'm not going to pretend that everything's okay here in the city of Boston or that the legacy of injustice can be fixed overnight, because we know it can't be," said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
"We have a great state," said Massachusetts Gov.-Elect Charlie Baker. "But we are not as great as we must be."
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But in addition to turning to politicians this group heard from the youth of the city, whom they know are such an integral part of changing the culture for the future.
"Although we see our city in a light where we can say that you know this might not happen here that we do have some real systemic issues around race in the city," said Kendra Lara of Beantown Society.
