Members of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, which is having its 28th annual convention in downtown Cincinnati, take the organization's mission statement seriously.

        The statement calls for members to “act upon the needs, concerns, and contributions of African-Americans and other people of color as they relate to the administration of equal justice.”

        In Cincinnati, “No justice; no peace” has become the anthem of protests that have followed the police shooting of an unarmed black man in April. In that context, the NABCJ has acted by initiat ing talks involving community activists and police and city officials.

        “We did not come here to Cincinnati to point fingers at people,” said Addie Richburg, chief domestic strategist for the NABCJ. “We recognize that there is a definite need for some change, but we're into solutions. Our goal is conflict resolution.”

        Ms. Richburg said advance delegations visited the city in May, June and this month to meet with “the actual people who are on the front lines of the conflict.”

        She said the Rev. Damon Lynch III, who has called for city boycotts, welcomed the NABCJ's intervention.

        But Ms. Richburg said her organization did not come to Cincinnati to choose sides. She said meetings with police officials were welcomed and proved enlightening.

        Those meetings also led to two closed-door meetings Monday. One meeting drew 48 police officers, both black and white, and the other meeting attracted clergy and community leaders who have led the protests.

        Ms. Richburg said the sessions helped shed light on many of the root causes of the racial conflict in Cincinnati and possible solutions.

        She said some white officers felt they couldn't do their jobs without being labeled racists. But that revelation underscores the need for more black police officers, she said.

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