The death of George Floyd has brought out people from all walks of life to make a stand against racism, not only in police departments but in all facets of society.
In Longmont over the weekend, hundreds made their way to Roosevelt Park to attend a rally held by several local groups including El Comite, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and more.
While chants of “Black Lives Matter,” “Defund the police,” and some of the names of black people who have died at the hands of the police echoed throughout the park, the message from speakers was clear: Change doesn’t happen just by attending rallies.
Speakers who included Tyra Toepfer, the Rev. Bettie Brown-Nunally, and Sam Leon Mores pleaded with protesters to do more.
Toepfer felt the words of her friend, Sergio King, a black man who grew up in Longmont, said it best.
King said, “call people out. Utilize your white privilege and call out others who may not understand and give into racist tendencies. Racism isn’t always blatant. A good rule to follow is if a statement feels a little racist, then it is. Don’t be afraid to speak on it … The black community has been crying out for help for hundreds of years. Help other white people who are choosing to highlight the violence, help them listen instead to the why. Why people are heartbroken, why people are angry, why there are so many protests, because year after year, decade after decade, generation after generation black people, my people, have been disenfranchised and murdered without a second thought. So utilize your position in society, use your privilege to say ‘this injustice is wrong and here is why.’”
The Rev. Brown-Nunally, a Longmont resident and activist for equality, challenged those in attendance to not only show up for the rallies but to “start doing some things.” Pointing at her shirt with “Vote” written across it, she said that is the most important thing. “When people are saying racist things, you gotta start speakin’ up against them. And there’s a price that you gotta pay. There’s a big price you gotta pay. A lot of times you are gonna be ostracized … but you gotta do it.”
The theme that persisted through the speeches at the rally was a cry for people to do more than to show up at rallies, for them to find something in the community and start there by making a change. “Its up to each individual here to start doing stuff to make their life better,” said the Rev. Brown-Nunally.
White people in the crowd were called to action to speak up and support the movement by following black leadership, checking on local government and ending white silence. They were asked to not just show up after the death of one man but to continue the sentiment beyond the immediate times.
Marta Moreno, lead case manager at El Comite, spoke of the shooting of two Latino juveniles by the Longmont Police in August 1980. She was part of a group that came together to make change in the community by working with local government and law enforcement.
“We all need to come into this community like brothers and sisters … come together and hold accountability of what is going on, police department, city council, social services, anywhere where we see a wrong. We don’t just stand there and do nothing, we need to take action. Without action, there are no miracles. If you want peace, you work for justice.“
The rally ended with nearly 1,000 people taking a full lap around Roosevelt Park and then marching to Sixth Avenue and Main Street, where they met up with the weekly protest of Longmont Leads with Love, an organization that has met from 1 to 2 p.m. each Saturday since President Trump took office.
There protesters lined both sides of the intersection of Sixth and Main with signs, banners and songs supporting the anti-racism movement. Drivers showed solidarity by honking, shouting and waving signs from car windows.
Sam Leon Morse IV an activist for equality said, “We don’t change things unless we are aware that there is a problem and we are accountable for this.”
The protest was the second in Longmont in two days. A similar effort was held Friday. Organized by a Facebook group calling itself Longmont Collective, formally known as Longmont Tribe and led by Longmont resident Emma Izquierdo, the protest drew about 100 people to express its solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Both protests were peaceful and the police reported no incidents in connection with either.
