Amidst the current events happening in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Louisville, Kentucky, as well as Indianapolis, over 200 peaceful protestors gathered around the Dubois County Courthouse this weekend in protest against racial injustice.
ONE – Dubois County, a local organization that works towards the progress of civil and human rights, held the “Stand and Say Their Name” event on Saturday, displaying signs regarding racial injustice, police brutality, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement.
A ONE – Dubois County spokesperson, Allison Wagner, stated that an event like this is to show that movements like the Black Lives Matter movement has an alliance that lies beyond skin color.
“The racism just keeps escalating and it’s not getting worse, it’s just getting filmed. I think that it’s important for the black community to have a strong white alliance because their voices and pleas for help haven’t been acknowledged for 400 years. So, in order for us to make a real change, we have to stand up and use our voices to speak out about the racism that’s happening in the African-American communities,”
Wagner stated that her and other ONE – Dubois County members were overwhelmed with joy with the number of participants that joined in the protest.
“I am so happy that this I am so happy to see so many members of our community willing to stand up and speak out and sort of stopped the complacency issue that I think a lot of people here are affected by because if it’s not in your town, if you’re not seeing it first off it’s easy to say well.
Names like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and more were written on signs and passed out to remember those who have died due to police brutality or racial issues.
18-year-old Jasper resident Joe Wood held a sign that said “MY LIFE MATTERS”, which is his way of reminding those that his life matters, regardless of the color of his skin.
“When it comes to dealing with police and just violence in general, my life matters just as much as the rest of everybody. My life doesn’t mean less just because I’m black.”
While some protestors stated that they did get dirty looks and angry shouts from those who drove by, many protestors smiled as cars and trucks drove by, honking and giving thumbs up and support for the stand the protestors were taking. Some passerby’s stopped to take pictures and hand out snacks and water.
To learn more about ONE – Dubois County, visit their Facebook page.
