It’s a cloudy day in Columbia, as people gather for the annual Rock The Community event at Douglass Park. Rita Renee hustles from vendor to vendor.
Renee values the way this event brings together all facets of the community.
“A community is made up of different people, different fibers, different being. It’s not just black, it’s not just white, it’s not just Muslim, not just Baptist, it’s not just Christians,” she says.
Renee is the director of Rock The Community, which has been going on for over 10 years. The mission of the event is to empower youth to fulfill their dreams and foster positive communication with public safety officers through these festivities.
A large part of these activities is the musical performances. Renee believes that music has the ability to bring people together as “a common language.”
Throughout the day there is African dancing, accompanied by drumming, heartfelt singing and poetry performed by Jabberwocky Studios. The power of this art is evident as some officers join in, dancing or singing along to the music.
Renee hopes the event might help ease tensions that have been growing between police and the community.
“I think that somewhere along the line the dialogue got broken and it created tension and animosity that didn’t have to be there,” Renee says.
Renee has her own experience with the police. Two years ago, police pulled her son over in the middle of the night, just two weeks after volunteering at Rock The Community in St. Louis. What her son said on the phone had a deep impact on Renee.
“He was afraid. I don’t think anybody in the world should be afraid if a police officer pulls them over,” she recalls.
Situations like the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson are catalyst incidents for this mistrust, especially in a city just 100 miles west. Rock The Community allows residents a chance to take a step toward rebuilding that relationship.
Event host Koko C’vere says this process is all about positivity and self-expression as a way to combat the negativity in the community. He says the event shines a positive light on the community and the police force.
“These officers, these firefighters out here, they’re positive people. We really have a good time every year we come out. They show us love. They even dance with us. We all have a good time together,” C’vere said.
At the event, the officers that came enjoyed the performances like everyone else. But Columbia Police Department spokesperson Briana Larimer says they understand the divide as much as anyone and are doing their best to bridge that gap.
“Trust is the predominant foundation of building a relationship and having a community. Again, going back to COU and what they do, their direct mission is open lines of communication with the community to rebuild partnerships and relationships. That has to come with trust,” Larimer said.
The Columbia Police Department has been working on a community-oriented policing program. They will present the plan to city council in August. It will have many options ranging from larger scale changes to small, but personal interactions.
“Things as simple as I saw your garage door was up, that starts a conversation and I think that’s where relationships are built, to begin with,” says Larimer.
At the event, the city also surprised Renee with a resolution from City Council, read by 4th ward council member Ian Thomas. The resolution declares Saturday, June 2, 2018, “Rock The Community Day” in Columbia.
Renee says the proclamation feels like validation for the work they’re doing.
“When I was young we had giant block parties or in some cases, we had rent parties because Mr. Jones was about to lose his house. So, the community came together and did something,” Renee recalls. “This is our version of doing something.”
