Funeral directors join ministers to denounce ‘vigilante’ killings in black community

Nine funeral hearses rolled slowly down Veterans Parkway Monday in protest of recent black-on-black crime.

The silent motorcade was held in partnership with the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, an organization composed of mostly black ministers.

After meeting at the historic Liberty Theatre and then traveling to the Civic Center, escorted by four Muscogee County Marshal’s vehicles, the ministers and funeral directors held a news conference denouncing the violence.

This summer has been particularly violent in Columbus, with a total of 16 killings in July and August. The last five homicide victims were:

• Nathan Johnson, 25, fatally shot Aug. 19 at 2229 8th St.
• Tamir Harris, 33, killed in an Aug. 22 shooting in the 3600 block of Fourth Avenue.
• Tremaine Taylor, 18, fatally shot Aug. 31 in the block of 458 Henson Ave.
• Takelia Johnson, 19, killed Sept. 3 in a drive-by shooting in the 900 block of Ewart Avenue.
• Travis Porter, 35, shot and killed Sept. 4 at Hannah Heights Apartments at 909 Farr Road.

Those that participated in the funeral procession were Sconiers, Hill-Watson, Lambs International, Battle and Battle and Taylor (Phenix City) funeral homes.

“We are here today to acknowledge all of the vigilante activities that have been happening in our community because we’re concerned about the anarchy that has been going on in our community,” said the Rev. Ralph Huling, president of the IMA. “And this is our protest, this is our way of acknowledging our dissatisfaction and our hurt about the recent murders.

“We’re grateful for the entrepreneurs that operate funeral homes in this community that have partnered with us today,” he continued, “because funeral workers and funeral directors, they are the last ones, along with the ministers and pastors, that have to deal with the rash of death that’s happening in the community.”

He said it’s time that the black community take ownership of the problem and try to find a solution.

“We’re calling our community back to civility, back to the point where we used to love and care about one another and realize that we are our brother’s keepers,” he said.

In all, there have been 23 homicides in the city since January, according to the Columbus Police Department. Muscogee Coroner Buddy Bryan puts the number at 29, exceeding the 26 homicides his office recorded in 2016. Bryan does not differentiate between a homicide that police consider a murder and one they categorize as manslaughter or a justifiable shooting.

Evone Taylor, owner of Taylor Funeral Home, said morticians are affected like the rest of the community by all the violent acts.

“It’s sad when there’s a homicide in the community and loved ones have to bury someone because their life was taken at the hands of someone else,” she said. “It’s sad not only for the community, but also for those of us that work in the funeral industry to help those that are grieving to get through this process, knowing that their lives were snatched from them.”

When asked the demographic of the cases that she’s seeing at her funeral home, she said: “... Age-wise, they’re getting younger and younger. It’s males, poor, under-educated families that this is happening to.”

“I think this is a beginning, the first step, where we can band together as business owners, as ministers,” she said, “and, first of all, start with prayer and try to reach out and find out what the problem is and offer more as far as our young people are concerned.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2017 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Funeral directors join ministers to denounce ‘vigilante’ killings in black community."