Morningside Promise Zone: Fort Worth faith leaders address trauma in the community

Faith leaders on Fort Worth’s side side are offering to help those struggling with the violence in their community. They’re creating something known as the Morningside Promise Zone.

The churches are hoping to bring people together to address the trauma from crime in the Morningside community.

This is the same area of Fort Worth where four people were killed earlier this month in a shooting linked to an attempted robbery involving drugs. No arrests have been made, but police are looking for the vehicle that fled the scene after the shooting.

RELATED: 4 dead in shooting during attempted robbery involving drugs, Fort Worth police say

The incident shook residents and children who live in that area, as well as family members of the victims. And the recent senseless shootings happening even outside the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex such as in Uvalde and Buffalo have taken a toll on people’s mental health.

Talking about trauma can be difficult and pastors say that can lead to more problems.

“Our children are telling us they’re traumatized and yet we don’t have the resources, coordination or response in place,” said the Rev. Kyev Tatum, the pastor at New Mount Rose Baptist Church. “So, the Lord put on our heart to take this moment as an opportunity to galvanize Black men who care and others to come back into the community and to use the church as the foundation and the core of reform because we know the church has been in the Black community and has been the impetus of every reform measure in our community from the existence.” 

Pastor Tatum said he believes the church is the core of reform. He believes kids especially should have access to God and jobs, not drugs and guns.

The Morningside Promise Zone will be housed at New Mount Rose Baptist Church, meeting every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The initiative is part of an alliance of Black churches throughout the state. It pledges to keep the community clean, keep children safe, allowing people in the community to be more productive and work with organizations that strive to combat crime.