The North Carolina NAACP held a news conference Friday to address the recent outburst of violence in the country.
“In this moment, we must denounce violence and embrace non-violence,” North Carolina NAACP president Dr. William Barber said.
In the wake of Thursday night’s deadly mass shooting in Dallas, Barber urged the community to peacefully unite.
Barber spoke of the two black men who were shot and killed this week, demanding open and transparent investigations.
He also cautioned people not to paint all officers with the same brush.
“We have to honor the great majority of those officers who do love the community, who every day try to do right,” Barber said. “Who go out and protect their families and our families and even last night tried to protect the protesters.”
Law enforcement agencies across the country are grieving.
In Raleigh, police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown sent an email to officers, urging them to remain focused on their jobs.
As the communities struggle to make sense of the violence, Barber voiced the one concern everyone shares.
“It’s hard to talk about where we are right now as a country,” he said. “As I’m looking out at these children, I’m wondering what kind of world are we providing for them.”