Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches - IECAAC

The IECAAC was formed in January 2000 by a group of twenty-two local churches/pastors from the Inland Empire as a first step to address systematic patterns of abuse and violence to and in the community. The organization was formed in response to the hiring practices of the San Bernardino County Sheriff Department. On February 21, 2000 the IECAAC, along with over 750 members and demonstrators, marched over a mile in the rain from the sheriff station to the Board of Supervisors' office to protest the hiring of an officer involved in the shooting death of an Inland Empire teen. The march successfully brought attention to this as well as other issues in the Inland Empire. Since then the IECAAC has been in demand by many groups as the voice of the African-American community and the community at large. Local politicians continue to seek an audience with the organization for presentations and support.