Attendees bow their heads in prayer as Pastor Johnny Moore called for an end to racial injustice

CAIRO — A diverse crowd gathered in front of the Grady County courthouse Thursday evening to pray in unison.

“We’re in some troubling times,” said Annette Higdon, senior pastor with Fresh Start Global Outreach Ministries and the event’s organizer, “and it takes unity and it takes togetherness to get us through.”

Nationwide unrest over the coronavirus pandemic has turned into anger over the treatment of African Americans, and Higdon said the time has come for people in the community to set aside their differences and find unity in a higher power.

“We all bleed red and we’re all going back to the dust,” she said. “There’s no sections in heaven.”

People need to learn to work together “not just on bad days, but all days,” Higdon said. She called on those in attendance to acknowledge the specific challenges faced by African Americans, citing the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

“All lives matter,” Higdon said, “but all lives are not being affected like our lives are.”

Thursday’s event featured a racially diverse crowd of more than 100 individuals from across the county. Those in attendance included many prominent figures and office holders from across the county, including members of the Grady County Board of Commissioners, the Grady County Board of Education, the Cairo City Council and various candidates for local offices.

“It’s such a joy to see so many different groups of people from all different walks of life,” said Pastor Johnny Moore of Family Worship Center.

Moore offered a prayer to end social injustice, calling for forgiveness for what he said is a culture that sees political affiliation as more important than shared religious beliefs.

“Whether we were Democrat or Republican became more important than the fact of whether we were believers and we were children of God,” he said in his prayer.

Moore went on to ask for protection for black members in the community, who he referred to as “part of the family of God.”

“I pray … that we would not be offended by standing up and saying that black lives do matter,” he said. “They really do matter. They matter to me.”

Higdon herself led a prayer for social reform, asking for guidance in devising a strategy that could bring lasting change.

“We must stop allowing fear to hinder our ability to love those that others hate,” she said.

Higdon went on to call on those in attendance to show love and understanding for their neighbors.

“It’s easy to say that you love somebody,” she said, “but love is not just your voice. Love is what it does. It’s an action verb.”

Other prayers were offered by pastors Gregory Hines, who prayed for the community and local leaders; Dewayne Atkinson, who prayed for the nation; and Dellise Cox, who prayed for law enforcement.

Higdon said she wanted Thursday’s event to be lead by a racially diverse group of faith leaders, citing strength in unity. She apologized to the crowd for not personally knowing any Latino pastors in the area, but then revealed that a man she introduced as “Pastor Sanchez” had chosen to attend the event and asked to pray — an event she attributed to divine intervention.

Sanchez then led the crowd through a Spanish-language prayer for unity, which was partly shared in English through a translator.

“The Holy Ghost has no language,” Higdon said. “He speaks in so many, but we can still (feel) His power. We can still feel what He’s doing.”

Plans to hold a second vigil outside the courthouse Sunday at 6 p.m. are already underway.