By Adam Allington & Marhsall Griffin, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Black ministers, businessmen and community leaders are organizing a weekend of events in north St. Louis this weekend in an effort to reduce crime and reclaim struggling neighborhoods in St. Louis and its inner suburbs.
The movement, called "A Call to Oneness" is asking 20,000 African-American men to turn out to for a march on Sunday along the old May Day parade route ending at Tandy Park.
St. Louis Aldermanic President Lewis Reed will be part of the march.
He says the city and politicians can provide resources but the real driving force to improve the lot of black communities will come from churches.
"To really create a movement where its peoples minds each and ever day and they work toward a common goal, that's really going to come from the clergy. The clergy is the most important component of this whole thing," says Reed.
Reed says the main concern facing black communities is lack of opportunities for young people.
Eric Rhone is the manager for St. Louis-native Cedric the Entertainer. He says the movement hopes to draw over 20--thousand participants.
"We've reached out to all the pastors, all the club people and told them to become a part of a call to oneness, we've got a lot of people calling and acting like they're part of it," says Rhone.
"But to all of you preachers, get out of these churches and get on the streets."
The weekend will kick off with a "State of Emergency" panel discussion on Friday followed by panel discussions and informational forums on Saturday.
The march will start at 2:00 PM on Sunday at the old Sears Building at Kingshighway and Martin Luther King Drive.