Song and dance filled Bartley Temple United Methodist Church on Sunday.
In the final moments of the Easter service, 14-year-old Ajalan Carter walked to the front of the chapel and held back tears as she spoke about her friend Robert Dentmond.
On Sunday, March 20, law enforcement officers shot and killed 16-year-old Dentmond after he appeared to be holding an assault rifle. They later discovered it was a BB gun.
“Now that he is gone, it’s hard on everybody,” Carter, a member of the church, said. “It’s hard on this community.”
Carter wore a handmade shirt adorned with Dentmond’s picture, and she told the crowd Dentmond, despite rumors, was not a bad person.
His personality was loving and intelligent, and he always knew how to raise her spirits, she said.
“I just want this to be a good home-going for Robert, because that’s what he deserves: a good home-going,” Carter said.
As Carter spoke, some of Robert’s friends cried and held their heads.
The Rev. Mary Mitchell, who led Sunday’s service, said it was time for residents to support each other.
“I ask that you pray for the young man’s family. I ask that you pray for law enforcement officers. I ask that you pray for this community,” Mitchell said. “But especially, pray for these young people because I’m looking in their faces and I see their hurt.”
After the service, Carter held a bake sale in the church’s hallway, where she sold cookies, cake pops and slices of sweet potato pie to patrons.
Carter said she baked the treats with her mother and other members of the church. She raised $314.75 in about 30 minutes for Dentmond’s adoptive mother, Jennifer Appel.
A candlelight vigil will be held at 7:15 p.m. Monday at Powerhouse Family Worship Center, located at 7600 SW 24th Ave., where several frustrated residents condemned local authorities at last Tuesday’s town hall meeting.
Another vigil is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Bartley Temple, located at 1936 NE 8th Ave. The Rev. Milford Griner of Pleasant Plain United Methodist Church said the church will not tolerate protests such as those at Tuesday’s meeting.
“This is just a prayer vigil to give us a chance to talk about Robert,” he said.
Carter said she was happy the community came together Sunday, but unity should be a regular occurrence.
“It felt great,” she said, “but it’s also sad that it takes a death in the community to bring us all together.”
@martindvassolo
mvassolo@alligator.org
