Naperville prayer service calls for racial justice and interfaith solidarity

About 100 people braved the heat Sunday in Naperville to pray for racial justice and interfaith solidarity.

The Naperville Interfaith Leaders Association held the service, called "Building the Beloved Community: Repairing the World," at the Millennium Carillon on Rotary Hill.

Leaders representing a variety of faiths and groups, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Baha'i, Hindu, Buddhist and Humanist, make up the organization. Nearly a dozen speakers addressed the crowd Sunday.

Regina Brent, president of Unity Partnership, said the event was important to her both as a resident and for her organization, which helps to bridge relationships and partnerships between citizens and police.

"We want to support our police officers, but we also need the respect of knowing that there are problems with the African-American community," she said. "And right now our race is very vulnerable and we want some assurance that we will be treated equally as all other citizens that live in the lay of the land of DuPage County."

The association started in the 1980s as the Naperville Ministerium and changed to its current name in 2003. Their website states that "we believe that our entire community benefits when all of its people understand the value of religious, ethnic and cultural diversity and work for the well-being of all."