Demonstrators gathered in Siler City and in Pittsboro last week to protest the death of George Floyd, to speak out against police brutality and to show community unity.
About 200 protesters, a diverse group of both the young and old, gathered in front of town hall in Siler City beginning at noon Friday. Many held signs; some chanted “Get your knee off of my neck” and “Say their names.”
They marched in a loop each hour from North 2nd Avenue to Raleigh Street, and then to Chatham Avenue before going to East 3rd Street in a procession back to the town hall.
The protest was organized and supported by residents — described by organizer Larry Sullivan, 28, of Siler City, as a “rainbow coalition of local millennials” — who felt a call to action to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of Floyd’s death in Minneapolis on May 25.
“Siler City may be a peaceful small town, but we don’t see any kind of activism at the local level on such issues despite being the home to so many in the minority community,” Sullivan said. “We wanted to provide an organized platform for people in the community to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Besides Sullivan, the other organizers for this event include Jazzmyne Wiley, Nikia Marie, Deanna Fox and Emilio R. Vicente.
Vicente, 28, of Siler City, reached out to Siler City Police Chief Mike Wagner and played a role in getting approval for a permit before the event.
“I’ve been active around social justice issues for a while now,” Vicente said. “I wanted to make sure we have people who are trained to watch out for any situation that might create tensions and ultimately we want this to be peaceful.”
Jayden Davis, 17, a student at Jordan-Matthews High School and a protestor, said he was “just tired” of police brutality.
“I’m doing anything to help the cause,” he said. “Helping spread awareness and all that. Why wouldn’t I be here?”
On Saturday, a “call to solidarity and unity” was held at the Chatham County Justice Center in Pittsboro. The event, which began at 4 p.m., included different speakers.
Alston Chapel United Holy Church Senior Pastor Jerry Powell, one of the organizers of the event, said it wasn’t a protest or a demonstration.
“Our purpose and focus is to not only call attention to what has recently happened, but we’re about change,” he said.
Powell said the event also promoted voting.
“Regardless of how many protests and how many demonstrations, the only way to defeat injustice and systemic racism is to do it in the ballot box,” he said.
Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson was present at the Pittsboro event and spoke briefly.
“Racism is real, racism is wrong and racism is destructive,” he said. “It’s either taught or tolerated.”
Roberson said he often asks his team: “How would you have handled this if it were your brother or sister?”
The Pittsboro event ended with closing remarks and a demonstration with attendees laying face down on the ground for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — symbolizing the amount of time Floyd was pinned to the ground by Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who was later one of four officers charged in Floyd’s death.
The Chatham County Chamber of Commerce also showed its support with Black Lives Matter in a statement from Cindy Poindexter, its president and CEO.
“The board and the staff of the Chatham Chamber of Commerce value fairness and inclusiveness,” the statement read. “All lives are equally important and bring value to the table. Race does not make a person more or less valuable than their neighbor. Business and community leaders must unite with one another to create an equitable society where families of all racial backgrounds can live, work, and enjoy life without fear of violence or injustice. I respectively ask that you take a moment of silence and contemplate what you can do to prevent a climate of racial injustice.”