Martin Luther King III visits Syracuse to meet with local leaders, law enforcement

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Martin Luther King III visited Syracuse on Thursday, May 23, where he met with local leaders and law enforcement at the school named after his late father.

Martin Luther King III sat down with Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile, Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley, Syracuse City School District Superintendent Anthony Davis and a number of other local leaders to discuss some of the challenges Syracuse is currently facing.

“There’s always an opportunity to make progress if people are willing to come to the table to talk, and that’s what this was today, a conversation,” said King III.

The human rights activist and son of Martin Luther King Jr. talked about community building and what needs to be done.

“Whether it’s in Syracuse or whether it’s in Atlanta, but there’s issues that must be not just magnified, but these are issues that you have to work on 24/7,” King III said.

One of the issues brought to the table, juvenile crime.

“The district is a microcosm of the community, and what that really means is what’s happening out there is happening in schools as well. So how do we help students solve problems differently away from crime?” said Davis.

King III says change can be made, but it’s going to take the entire community and the community’s engagement to make it happen.

“It can’t be done in vacuum, it can’t be done in silos and I didn’t have to make that point at all, I said it. But it had already been said by several individuals around the table and we’re working to build community, and my hope coming out of the non-violence is that community can be built and sustained,” said King III.

“What is happening in many communities is not sustainable. It’s not intentionally, but it is destructive. What we have to do is create community, so that it can be constructive,” said King III.

Thursday’s discussion isn’t over. Local leaders and law enforcement will continue to work together to make Syracuse a safer community.

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