Tulsa Religious Leaders Pray At “Unity Over Violence Prayer March”

Hundreds of people peacefully protested in downtown Tulsa Monday, calling for justice and unity.

Organizers said at one point there were about 300 people at the march, which involved walking almost a mile from the Greenwood District to City Hall. One step at a time, singing the gospel song "This Little Light of Mine," hundreds made their way toward City Hall.

"It's hot. It's uncomfortable. But sometimes doing the right thing doesn't always feel safe and it doesn't always feel comfortable,” Charis Retherford said.

Retherford showed up with her family, including her four-year-old daughter Daisy and six-year-old son, Oliver.

"They don't fully understand why they are here. But we feel like getting them in this environment will help change may be the trajectory of how their views on society will be,” she said.

"Our message was justice. Pure and simple,” North Peoria Church of Christ Pastor Warren Blakney said.

Several religious leaders spoke and prayed, including leaders from the Tulsa Islamic Community and the Jewish Federation of Tulsa. Pastor Warren Blakney from North Peoria Church of Christ had this message about prayer.

"We believe in the power of prayer. We think everything that we do as pastors is centered on that. Because it's our request to God, and God answers those requests. So prayer is powerful to us,” Blakney said.

While those in the crowd paused to listen, they were also encouraged to continue making their voices heard, by voting.

"It's important that people participate. It's important that people vote and that people vote in a way that's consistent with the change to the policies that have been so limiting and oppressive for as long as America has been America,” protester Patrice Latimer said.

The organizer of Monday’s march, CJ Neal, said he is part of an effort to plan a protest in Oklahoma City at the capitol, soon.