TYLER, Texas — The graphic video of Minneapolis officers pinning George Floyd to the ground until he died has sparked outrage across the nation.
"So this is a case of what I would call the stereotypical murder, manslaughter or excessive force and the person of color died," Longview NAACP president Winsell Coleman said. "Somebody's son or father or a brother died. There needs to be a criminal investigation."
Floyd's death is the most recent in a series of incidents that has reignited the sensitive race debate in America including the video showing the death of Ahmed Aubrey in Georgia and another video showing a woman calling the police after Christian Cooper asked her to put her dog on a leash in New York.
Jeff Williams, President of Tyler Together, a race relation organization in Tyler, says the death of Floyd is another sobering reality.
"It hurts. Because I'm a black man and I have black sons. I have black grandsons, and I'm concerned about their lives," Williams said. "I also understand that could be me. It could've been one of my sons."
Tyler Together helps to promote community understanding of racism and combating racial inequality through forums, seminars and training session.
"What we have to have is have a discussion so that we can understand what it is about myself, and how can I make a change and what can I do within my own community and start to talk about these things," Williams said.
Both Williams and Coleman believe people should use their voice to help improve relations within the community for future generations.
"We can turn on here and not have the courage to go out and face relatives, our friends," Williams said. "We know [we] have racial issues, but we have to have that courage able to do that."
Both men urge East Texans to reach out to people of different colors and voice concerns with local leaders.
Tyler Together has offered interactive activities during forums to help people understand race issues. Williams recommends a game family members and friends can play together called the Road to Racial Justice "Board" Game.
There are opportunities for you to get involved with a race relation organization: