Fear circulated through my little town earlier this week as word spread about a planned march for Black Lives Matter. The anxiety was fueled by news reports of violence and looting in cities across the country, and by concerns circulating on social media that outsiders might come to our town to cause disruption.
My daughter and a few of her friends are upset about the inequality and injustice they see in our country, and they wanted to attend the event. I figured nothing too awful could happen in our little Southwest Virginia town, and I went with her, clarifying that the minute we sensed things were getting out of control, we would bail.
We had nothing to worry about.
The Peaceful March for Black Lives Matter in Wytheville, Virginia was not violent, disruptive, or hostile. It was an amazing testament to what can be accomplished when people come together for good.
Before the March began, we bowed our heads in prayer, calling on a God of love to watch over the demonstration, to cover it in peace, and to enact change through the speech and actions of people present. The pastor leading the prayer reminded us of the powerful words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Civil Rights Activist:
After the prayer, a few hundred people of various colors, ages, and backgrounds walked in solidarity along Main Street, in the company of uniformed police officers. The atmosphere reminded me of running a race, with everyone encouraging each other to strive toward a common goal. There were even people handing out water bottles and Gatorade!
The March was organized by an 18 year old African-American girl who wanted bring awareness to our town. She led the crowd up Main St with a bull horn in her hand, shouting George Floyd’s name and leading us in chants demanding change, like, “No justice, no peace.” and “Hands up, don’t shoot.” Her voice sometimes cracked with emotion and effort, and I was humbled and inspired by the stamina of this young woman, not only for her physical ability to shout continually during our 20 minute walk, but for the mental strength required to organize such an event in a small, predominately white town, and to carry it through with grace and poise. She demonstrated the good that is possible when people come together in light and love to overcome darkness and hate.
The event was covered by local media and found its way onto Facebook. While the overall tone of comments was positive, some people noted the lack of social distancing. Others asked if this gathering was allowed, why couldn’t churches start meeting again? Or why, if people could collect for this demonstration, couldn’t high schools hold regular graduation services? While these are valid questions, I hope they don’t detract from the message of the March.
We can be the light, and we can create change.
What are you doing today to help make change? How have you been inspired this tumultuous week?
Thanks for getting thoughtful with me,
Well said and thoughtful words at this time when my heart yearns for HOPE for the generations to come to do better. Once again inspired and organized by a young adult with a desire and yearning for change … much the same as the March for Our Lives that we participated in Washington DC. I so appreciate your insight, your engagement, and your action in this way. I will continue to HOPE as I kneel at the foot of the cross where we all stand on the level ground before Our Creator.
Thank you dear friend. 🙂
Thank you Julia for this great post. Very inspiring. I can’t reconcile the various contradictions of the world right now either and am just doing what I think is right, now.
Thank you! It is a crazy time, but we can’t give up hope!
Thanks for the discussion JT! I am one who questioned the lack of effort to social distance. It seems that a march for social justice and equality for all should have made a greater effort to be sure we all attended to another of the more pressing issues of the day. Considering the CDC has issued reports indicating a possible disproportionate infection rate in minorities, such an effort would have made sense. However, that did not stop me from marching, and I agree that the oversight should not detract from the success of the march. It was a far cry from the experience of our son in Asheville NC.
Yes, David, it definitely could have been done better, especially with the higher rates of infection and complications in minorities. I’m sorry Thomas had a bad experience and will be anxious to hear about it the next time I see you!
Thank you for marching and thanks for taking the time to comment here. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this occasion! Peace and love is the answer!!!
Thank you, Clayta! 😉