On August 1st, the 29th Annual Unity Walk and Community Festival was held in the Flatbush and East Flatbush communities in Brooklyn. This year’s event focused on the theme of “Police and Community Unity,” attracting participation from law enforcement, the religious community, community organizations, and residents of various ethnicities. The organizers called for reducing violence and crime through police-community cooperation to build safer communities. The Falun Dafa group, advocating the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, was also invited to participate in the parade and became one of the highlights of the event.
The event was jointly organized by the Community Concerns Network and the By-Ways & Hedges organization. It kicked off with a ceremony praising God and praying for unity and peace in America. The parade procession started at 11 a.m. from the intersection of Empire Avenue and Flatbush Avenue, moving along Church Avenue towards Utica Avenue, culminating in the community festival at the endpoint. Reverend Terry Lee initiated this event in 1997 with the aim of fostering trust between police and the community, reducing violence, and uniting residents of different ethnicities and faith backgrounds to build peaceful communities.
Patrick Hendry, the President of the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA), also showed his support at the event. He emphasized the importance of residents’ trust, support, and cooperation for law enforcement to effectively safeguard community safety. He stressed the need for continuous engagement with the community, listening to residents’ voices, and building mutual trust to create a safer living environment together.
In addition to participants from various sectors in New York, representatives from Texas, Canada, Florida, and Turning Point USA also joined the event. Reverend Terry Lee expressed his joy at the presence of the Chinese community at the event, highlighting the significance of unity among immigrants and citizens to support the community, embodying the essence of “Unity Day.” He hoped to bring the Unity Walk to Chinatown in the future to encourage more ethnicities to participate together. The Falun Dafa group, known for their drum team, lotus formation, and exercise demonstration, has been continuously invited to participate in this event over the years.
The Falun Dafa procession was one of the largest groups at the event. The powerful drum performance, vibrant lotus formation, and serene exercise demonstration garnered applause from onlookers along the route, with many praising the group as “beautiful” and “full of peaceful energy.” Practitioners distributed handcrafted lotus flowers and introduced Falun Dafa’s principles to the public. After the parade, the drum team performed again, showcasing five sets of exercises that attracted many spectators to take photos, request information, and even learn the practice on the spot. The Falun Dafa principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, promoting peace, kindness, and inclusivity, resonated with the event’s goals of enhancing police-community trust, fostering inter-ethnic unity, and building safe communities.
Xiao Li, the coordinator of the Falun Dafa drum team, acknowledged Reverend Terry Lee’s longstanding support for the group. She mentioned that the Reverend not only admired the display of Chinese traditional culture by the drum team but also resonated with Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. She conveyed the Reverend’s hope for people of different ethnicities and faiths to understand each other, care for one another, and collectively build violence-free and safer communities. Therefore, he has continuously invited the Falun Dafa group to participate in the Unity Walk over the years. Xiao Li further added that the Reverend is concerned about the persecution faced by Falun Dafa practitioners in China and has expressed willingness to oppose the persecution through petitions and other means.