'Unite T-Town' Vigil Brings Tulsans Together For Peace

People joined together to reaffirm and strengthen the area's commitment to making Tulsa a safer place to live.

Tuesday night, Tulsa Public Schools hosted the ‘Unite T-Town’ vigil for peace at Booker T. Washington High School.

Side by side, and hand in hand, more than 100 critical members of the Tulsa community met, all seeking ways to avoid conflict.

7/12/2016 Related Story: Unite T-Town Vigil Held Tuesday Evening At Booker T. Washington

TPS superintendent, Dr. Deborah Gist said, “It's about making sure that we keep our awareness high, and that we actually take action to bring about change."

The group met at Booker T. Washington High School, on Tulsa's north side, to strengthen the glue that holds us together.

"Be open to any questions, concerns that people in the community may have," said TPD Black Officers Coalition president, Corey Myers.

Warren Fuselier, a senior at the high school and president of Men of Power - a group determined to change the stereotypes of young black male students - said it's about changing and erasing the assumptions, "lazy, not motivated, ghetto, uneducated."

The hope is that people learn to seek understanding, before rushing to judgment, or before striking their first blow, no matter where your sympathies lie.

Myers said, "Get all the facts before you make a conclusion to what happened, to what occurred."

It’s a message Gist said she hopes students receive and use.

"Talk about what we're going to do differently. What we are going to do together to make for a brighter future," she said.

Fuselier said, “With accountability, comes the willingness to admit when you are wrong, and trying to figure out what you can do to be better."
Everyone took a pledge to seek a better understanding before engaging in conflict.

TPS said it will provide special training for school resource officers and hold school-related community forums to continue the discussion.