Seymour Society

Members of Harvard's William J. Seymour Society an undergraduate Black Christian fellowship and a group from the First Church of God in Boston met with city official last week to discuss the drug trafficking in the city's Roxbury section.

The group of seven-including two under graduates, mentor two hours with three of Mayor Kevin. White's aides to discuss the possibilities of White taking a leadership role in coordination federal, state and local funds to deal with cleaning up drug traffic developing drug rehabilitation centers and expanding the present facilities in Roxbury and surrounding cities." Seymour Society, President Cynthia M. Silva '84 said yesterday.

Although the group originally intended to present a petition to White personally, after trying unsuccessfully since February to make an appointment with the mayor, they decided they would "just show up," Rev. Cheryl Sanders of the First Church of God said yesterday.

The representatives met with white officials, but they would not "surrender the petition until they could give it to the mayor in person. Sanders said, because it was addressed to White Gov. Michael S. Dukakis and Police Commissioner Joseph Jourdan.

"I think we'll get to see White within the next two weeks." the reverend added. We'll wait for them to call."

Silva, who did not go with the group expressed less optimism about the results.

Nothing concrete came out of the meeting," she said. "[White's representatives] made no commitment that could be verified."

The anti-drug trafficking petition, which drew 10,000 signatures was drafted in January by the Concerned Christians of Greater Boston a group made up of members of the First Church and four representatives of the Seymour Society.

The 40 member Concerned Christians group began soliciting signatures in Roxbury, Dorchester. Mattapan and Boston train and bus stations in February and continued collecting them through mid-March.

Concerned Christians was formed in January as a response to the problems in the Roxbury community not being addressed at the time." Silva said adding that "That point of one petition who pull the community together and say that we retired of having our community used for a dumping ground."