By Austin Rust-
On Saturday, June 13, a large group of local residents gathered at the Adams County Courthouse in West Union to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, which stands against police brutality and discrimination towards African-Americans. This protest comes in the wake of – and in connection to – continuing protests nationwide, sparked by the death of George Floyd (on May 25) at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, together with many other cases of blacks wrongfully killed by police. At this protest, Adams County residents read the names of these victims of racism and police brutality, advocating for positive change and police reform.
The protest was organized by West Union resident Shawnda Prater, who felt it was important for Adams County residents to come together and use their collective voice to make a difference.
At the beginning of the protest, Adams County Sheriff Kimmy Rogers came to show his support for the group. Sheriff Rogers encouraged everyone gathered at the county courthouse to continue exercising their right to protest against injustice, and gave his phone number to protest leaders. A meeting between the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, local police departments, and the leaders of this protest was discussed, and several ideas for change and addressing concerns were proposed.
“We’re a small community, and small communities sometimes come with closed minds. I feel like it’s time for us to make a change. It’s time for us all to stand up, be as one, and realize that we are all one – we’re all just people,” Prater explained. “We’re definitely going to get a group of people together and just figure out multiple ways that we can make a change here, continuing this (momentum). This isn’t going to be just a one-time thing. We’re going to take baby steps to where things are going to be different, hopefully – especially for our kids, like my daughter.”
“I grew up in such a different way – learning a specific way, being taught a specific way. It was always put in my head that this is how you’re supposed to be, and this is who you’re supposed to talk to,” she continued. “My daughter is here because I want her to know. I want her to be more educated, and realize that we’re all people – we all bleed the same color, we all care, we all love. We want to make change for our kids. This next generation… it’s got to be better.”
Speaking before the crowd, Sierra Farley (a local protester) shared that she had recently traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota and taken part in a peaceful protest there. At this protest, Farley met a black mother whose son had died in police custody. Her son fell sick in custody, but he could not convince the police to give him medication or treatment, and died days later. Cases like these are the reason protests should be (and are being) held, Farley explained. Lives are being cut short by police brutality across the nation – lives that should still be here. “Black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than white people, despite being 1.3 times more likely to be unarmed than white people,” Farley shared. “99% of killings by police from 2013 – 2019 have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime. There were only 27 days in 2019 where police did not kill someone.” It’s important for protesters to stand together with good law enforcement officers, she concluded, and help them to weed out the “bad apples” from their agencies and departments.
Next, the group was led in prayer. Afterward, the protesters recited the names of black victims of police brutality. These names were: Aryana Jones, Agatha Felix, Tamir Rice, Jordan Edwards, Kimani Gray, Trayvon Martin, Darnesha Harris, Michael Brawn, Kendric McDade, Christian Taylor, Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, Jonathan Ferrell, Ahmaud Arbery, Breanna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Maurice Gordon, Sandra Bland, Regis Korchinski Paouet, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Natasha McKenna, Tanisha Anderson, Tony McDade, David Mcatee, Nathaniel Woods, Emmett Till, Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, and Michelle Cusseaux. It was noted that this is not a complete list of victims.
The protesters then walked in laps around the Adams County Courthouse, chanting slogans and holding signs with messages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement held aloft. Many of the protesters brought their own signs, Farley explained, but several were also made by children at the Wilson Children’s Home in West Union who could not participate in-person but wanted to show their support.
After the march, protesters returned to speak at the courthouse steps. Many shared stories of why they were there, and explained what the Black Lives Matter movement meant to them. Protesters were encouraged to inform themselves on the issues, and encouraged to vote in the next election.
“I think if I were to summarize everything that happened today, it’d probably be with this quote from Dave Chappelle: Once enough of you care, there will be nothing they can do to stop the change,” said Sierra Farley. “I think that’s important. There are voices here that are willing to speak up, and I’m proud of that.”