Church leaders and community activists got together in front of the Wilson Building (City Hall) to join hands in support of DC Mayor Vincent Gray.  The well attended Press Conference called for Wednesday, July 18 at 11 am, was one of many measures city residents and community leaders have organized in support of the DC Mayor.  Supports for the Mayor has come from all sectors of the city, including faith-based groups, Latino groups, the LGBT community, and Labor groups, amongst other.

The overwhelming outcry of support for the Mayor started after last week 3 City Councilmembers called on the Mayor to resign.  The premature call for the Mayor’s resignation has angered many residents of the city that believe this fueled more drama to a delicate situation.  Amongst the speakers at the Press Conference were the Reverend Graylan Hagler, President of the Ministers for Racial, Social and Economic Justice, and Reverend Willie Wilson, author, community organizer and pastor at Union Temple Baptist Church, Johnny Barnes, former Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union National Capital Area (ACLU-NCA), and Franklin Garcia, from the DC Latino Caucus.  Most speakers at the Press Conference were making a call to let the process play out and to support the Mayor to continue improving the lives of the residents of Washington DC.  Some of the speakers also chastised the Councilmembers who called on the mayor to resign, saying that it was irresponsible for legislator to make such statement without knowing all the facts.