The Rev. Markel Hutchins was born a decade after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed.
But the work that Hutchins does now as chairman and CEO of the Atlanta-based MovementForward Inc. is deeply informed by the spirit of King and other civil-rights activists who came before him.
In 2020, Hutchins saw a country sharply divided over issues of race and civil rights.
Protests, many sparked by the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd at the hands of police, engulfed several U.S. cities.
“What I saw was we were going in the wrong direction,” Hutchins said. “I saw the protests were more about an expression of anger than a way to make things change.”
So, Hutchins said he did something about it.
That same year, he reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Sheriffs Association to plan and launch the first National Faith & Blue Weekend.
In October 2020, about 1,000 activities between law enforcement and leaders of local churches, synagogues, mosques and more gathered together in 43 states to better open dialogue about the issues that affect them, Hutchins said. In 2021, the number climbed to 2,000 activities in all 50 states; in 2022, more than 3,000 activities.
This weekend, starting Friday, the fourth National Faith & Blue Weekend will bring together thousands of police officers and faith leaders. There will be events from Aliquippa to Pittsburgh to Uniontown and more in between.
Police from Shaler, Etna, Millvale and Reserve will set up a tent at a varsity football game from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at Shaler Area Middle School, 1810 Mount Royal Blvd., Glenshaw. The officers will hand out “The Blue Backs Our Titans” T-shirts, snacks and drinks.
Pittsburgh police plan to meet with resident at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 1810 Belasco Ave., Beechview, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. City officers also will host a community gathering at St. Paul Cathedral, 108 N. Dithridge St., Oakland, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
In Beaver County, New Sewickley police will gather at Yeck’s Farm, 568 Baker Road, in New Sewickley, from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday. There, they’ll join families making s’mores, children taking hay rides and artists painting pumpkins.
Events are planned Sunday in places including Swissvale and Turtle Creek and Forest Hills, according to the Faith & Blue website.
The Allegheny Sheriff’s Office also is taking part in the weekend.
Sheriff’s deputies will join Pittsburgh police for “a time of reflection” at St. Bede Church, 509 South Dallas Ave., Point Breeze, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
Sheriff Kevin Kraus said his office’s work requires his deputies “to be engaged with the public on a daily basis.”
“An event like this, where we can show in a tangible way that we are there for them, their safety and well-being, and they in return can show their appreciation directly to a member of law enforcement is a positive experience for everyone involved,” Kraus said.
For more information, visit https://faithandblue.org.
