Black Lives Matter Seeks Ways To Improve North Tulsa Community

Black Lives Matter Tulsa is brainstorming ways to make the community better and safer.

The group held a meeting Thursday, calling it "A Time To Build."

The group says the deaths of Terence Crutcher, Joshua Barre and others are still fresh on their minds as they look for ways to improve the north Tulsa community.

It was a small turnout discussing big topics.

"That's what it's all about is moving forward," says the Reverend Mareo Johnson. "That's what 'A Time to Build' is all about. Getting the community together, building, growing, being successful."

This is group's second meeting since a night in May when the group led protests after a jury found Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby not guilty of manslaughter the death of Crutcher.

5/17/2017 Related Story: Jury Reaches Verdict In Betty Shelby Trial After 9 Hours

That night, the group didn't know where to start when it came to improving community relations.

So a few weeks ago, the group planned a block party for all of north Tulsa to come together called, "Come Unity," to get the ball rolling.

But the day before that event, Tulsa police and Tulsa County sheriff's deputies shot and killed Joshua Barre after he tried to go into a convenience store wielding knives.

6/9/2017 Related Story: Deputies, Police Officer Shoot, Kill Man At Tulsa Convenience Store

So that event took on a different, more somber tone.

"It is disappointment because of the injustice that we have seen," Johnson said.

Now, Johnson says, it's time to get to work.

He says this meeting serves as a brainstorming session coming up with solutions to make north Tulsa a better place.

"That's what it's all about, is staying positive, the positive is really what we want to focus on," Johnson said.