I Fought The Law, and I Won The Story of Walking Tall Wilmington

Sat 1:00pm - 1:50pm

Co-Creators

Randy Evans

On July 8th, 2015 I rolled out of bed, took a shower, brushed my teeth, jumped in the car, grabbed some doughnuts, biscuits, juice, and I headed toward downtown Wilmington, NC. The only thing that I knew for sure was that I was tired of the injustices toward individuals experiencing poverty in New Hanover County. I got out of my car, walked towards the visitor’s center and I waited.... That first morning might have brought four or five individuals, but for the first time in my life, this was not about numbers. This opportunity was about being able to cross the line of social norms and see into a world that most people would not touch with a ten foot pole. As we gathered by the Cape Fear River we ate and fellowshipped as if we had known each other for years. There was no “Me and Them” it was simply us. Over the course of three or four months our numbers grew, and so did the attention of The Wilmington Police Department, The Mayor, and City Council. The Wilmington Police told me I was breaking laws that never existed pushing me to a place I had never been before....I was witnessing blatant discrimination. I started to read Dr. King, Bonhoeffer, Mother Theresa, Howard Thurman, and Gandhi. I was threatened with arrest, fines, and even jail time. Fives years later I'm still in the same spot sharing a meal and building relationships. In I Fought The Law, and I Won I will tell my story of how Walking Tall Wilmington was established, while encouraging those in attendance that simply showing up can changes someones life.