Organizers of a fishing rodeo slated for this weekend hope the event will help to bridge a gap between the community and “street organizations,” what many would call gangs.
The Community Unity Council (CUC), an organization created to promote communication between different street organizations, will host a Unity Fishing Rodeo on June 8 at the South Pavilion at Martin Luther King Jr. Riverside Park.
The event is open to all organizations, families, and “outdoor lovers.” Representative Justin J. Pearson (D-Memphis) along with members of Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP) will sponsor fishing licenses for those in attendance.
Prior to the event, the CUC held a fishing workshop where attendees learned fishing basics and how to assemble fishing gear. Participants were also given rods and reels for the rodeo.
The event is part of a larger plan by the CUC to engage street organizations, which many refer to as “gangs.”
“We don’t use the word gangs, right,” Keedran Franklin said. “That’s a code word for local municipalities to get [resource] from the feds to say we have a gang problem. We don’t have a gang problem. What we have is under-resourced and underserved people who are creating their own avenue.”
Last year the CUC hosted events such as community barbecues and clean-ups. They also organized a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event and march earlier this year. Franklin said the events are are a way to create different programs and systems for these communities. He stressed that these individuals are often left out of important decisions when it comes to city solutions.
“This is how the people move together when it’s for community,” Franklin said.