It Looks Like It's Going Down-the NOI's call for 10,000 Men in Philly is actually happening!

Well it appears that a glimmer of an internal movement exists-let's see if this story garners as much attention and energy as the Jena 6 neo-civil rights movement. Several weeks ago it was reported that in response to the escalating death rate in Philadelphia specifically, the NOI (Nation of Islam) put out a call to men of color to gather in great numbers (10,000 plus) to patrol the city of brotherly love in hopes of lessening the Black blood flow. The true test will come if this noble endeavor can be replicated nationwide. For more on this issue, check out the article in question, courtesy of the Washington Post:

Black Men Rally Against Phila. Crime

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
Sunday, October 21, 2007; 6:29 PM

PHILADELPHIA -- Thousands of black men turned out Sunday to support a volunteer effort aimed at reducing violence in this crime-plagued city, lining up for several blocks to register.

Volunteers who join street patrols as part of the "Call to Action: 10,000 Men, It's a New Day" campaign will not carry weapons or make arrests but will instead be trained in conflict resolution, organizers said.


Roy L. Brown, left, Stephon Knox and David D. Cheatham raise their hands in support of the 10,000 men call to action Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007, in Philadelphia. Thousands of black men turned out to register Sunday for a volunteer effort aimed at reducing violence in their community. Organizers hoped to attract 10,000 men to the project, which was originally conceived as a neighborhood patrol effort but will now encompass a variety of volunteer opportunities.
Roy L. Brown, left, Stephon Knox and David D. Cheatham raise their hands in support of the 10,000 men call to action Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007, in Philadelphia. Thousands of black men turned out to register Sunday for a volunteer effort aimed at reducing violence in their community. Organizers hoped to attract 10,000 men to the project, which was originally conceived as a neighborhood patrol effort but will now encompass a variety of volunteer opportunities.

"Nobody else is going to magically come into this community and get it done," said real estate developer Abdur-Rahim Islam, a lead organizer.

Mayor John F. Street, music producer Kenny Gamble and other black community activists joined Police Chief Sylvester Johnson at Temple University for the kickoff rally.

Acknowledging that police alone can't quell a run of violence, Johnson called for 10,000 volunteers last month to help make the streets safer. Philadelphia endures a reputation as one of America's deadliest cities, with about a slaying a day and many more nonfatal shootings.

The nation's sixth-largest city has nearly 1.5 million residents, 44 percent of them black. It has notched more than 320 homicides this year. More than 80 percent of the slayings involve handguns, and most involve young black males.

Organizers had originally talked of deploying volunteers to patrol the streets, but they suggested Sunday that some would help out established community groups such as youth organizations.

The exact number of volunteers who signed up was not immediately known.

Johnson said he believes enlisting volunteers to help address violence was better than hiring more police to lock people up.

"These (volunteers) can prevent people from being arrested. They can go out there and do things for kids to prevent them from getting in trouble with the criminal justice system," Johnson said.

Non-blacks were also welcome, but organizers stressed the need for the black community to solve its own problems. Most of the victims of gun violence in the city are black.

"I grew up in the streets. I don't want my son to be subjected to the same thing," said resident Christopher Norris, 34, who brought his 15-year-old son, Isaiah Saunders, to the event.

"I want to keep him on the right track and let him know there are more opportunities out there, and he doesn't have to resort to violence," Norris said.