Ministers pray for equality, justice outside honky-tonks
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A group of ministers from across Tennessee knelt in the middle of an intersection in Nashville’s tourist district, blocking the street as they prayed for equality and justice.
The Monday protest was one of many across the country challenging the right of religious conservatives to define morality.
It began with a rally on the steps of the state Capitol that happened to coincide with the first day of a specially called three-day legislative session. About 150 people gathered, including workers demanding a $15-an-hour minimum wage.
The ministers delivered “moral declaration” to Gov. Bill Haslam’s office demanding solutions to issues like persistent poverty and inequality.
The group then marched to Broadway and prayed in the street as tourists looked on from nearby honky-tonks. No arrests were made.
