Wakefield students bring community together to fight racism

Published in the June 9, 2020 edition.

By NOAH GREIF

WAKEFIELD — The chants “No justice, no peace” and “Black Lives Matter” rang through the streets of Wakefield this past Sunday afternoon. Hundreds of community members peacefully marched from the Galvin Middle School to Wakefield Memorial High School to protest the killing of George Floyd and countless other African-Americans who died as the result of police brutality as well as the systemic racism that lies within our country.

Wakefield Memorial High students ReignYah Grant, Faith Defendre and Aurora Leal organized the event that brought the Wakefield community together to shed light on the inequality in the United States when it comes to race. Whether you were a middle school student or someone who witnessed the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s or whether you were black or white, this protest was a united effort that has been visible across major cities, as well as smaller communities such as Wakefield.

Protestors gathered at the Galvin Middle School and marched down Main Street, Water Street and Farm Street before gathering at the Shaun A. Beasley Track and Field at Wakefield Memorial High School. During the march, ReignYah, Faith and Aurora led protestors in chants, including saying the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. This was a testament to honoring the legacy of these souls whose lives were unfairly taken, and continuing to demand action to fix the issues of racism.

After finishing the route of the march, protestors gathered on the Beasley track. ReignYah Grant delivered a powerful message to the crowd over her struggles as a black woman in society today. “I know that there are a lot of people out there who truly don’t understand and that’s okay. I embrace my skin color and my skin is beautiful and rich and worth it. Why is it that my skin color seems to be a threat? Why is it that my skin color scares people?” said ReignYah.

ReignYah spoke of the concept that racism is a learned behavior. “Racism is taught. You are not born hating a skin color. You are taught to hate a skin color but if everyone in our generation can teach the next generation that you don’t have to hate someone for their skin color we just might end racism. You don’t have to judge a person because of their skin color and you don’t have to kill someone because of their skin color,” said ReignYah.

ReignYah concluded her speech with a call to action to educate those who were ignorant and stand up for her friends who experience racism. ReignYah then introduced her mom, Shonnese Grant, who acknowledged each of the girls who organized the march. Shonnese mentioned them by name, Faith, Aurora and ReignYah. She said she intentionally listed their names in order as the first letter of each of their names spelled “FAR.”

Shonnese’s passionate speech focused on how the acronym FAR symbolizes the values needed to carry the Black Lives movement farther and farther beyond the normal news cycle. She explained that the “F” represents faith, or the belief that this change is possible to achieve equality for African-Americans in our society. The “A” represents that even if you have faith, you need powerful, dedicated and meaningful action in order to fight for racial equality. Lastly, the “R” represents resolution. Once someone has the faith and the drive for action, a resolution can be achieved. Once this resolution is achieved, the process repeats with faith and action in order to defeat racism in the US that has been present for over 400 years.

LaToya Nelson, a mother of two children who are in the METCO program, spoke about the mission of the program. Nelson said that the METCO program is an opportunity for her children to achieve a better education, and in order for that education to be successful, her children, along with the other METCO students, should be treated with respect and care. Nelson reflected that in the Pledge of Allegiance that her children would recite every day in school, the phrase “justice for all” is used. She noted that this is not always the case. In a powerful, emotional statement, LaToya explained that in order for her children and other children of color around the world to live the long, successful lives they deserve, action needs to be taken now.

The organizers led the community in a moment of silence lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd.

Aurora Leal expressed the importance of being an ally to the Black Lives Matter campaign and how impressed she was with the turnout for Sunday’s protest. “The amount of people who came out to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement was truly amazing. Everyone who spoke, spoke with such great passion that it brought tears to the eyes of some of the audience. I hope that everyone who attended really took the message that we were trying to convey to heart and try to apply it to their everyday life. I hope that the community will continue to educate themselves and others. Every single one of us has a role to play in stopping racism. We have to continue to fight for what’s right everyday,” said Leal.

Faith Defendre expressed her happiness in the community coming out for the event, but also how the fight is nowhere from being over. “We must continue to have faith in each other, and hold each other accountable. We need to fight racism, from the little jokes told among friends to the systematic oppression that is in place by our government. We will continue and we will not stop by any means necessary. Continue to sign petitions and donate to worthy causes. Let us remember to keep the passion burning when it’s time to vote,” said Defendre.

This event demonstrated the power of the youth today and how we can teach future and current generations to not judge someone by the color of the skin, but by their character and values, and to be proud of who they are.

In the words of Shonnese Grant, “I will not stop. I will go the distance. I will have faith. I will convert that faith to action. Until there is resolution. And then I will start the entire process again.”

ByNOAH GREIF

WAKEFIELD — The chants “No justice, no peace” and “Black Lives Matter” rang through the streets of Wakefield this past Sunday afternoon. Hundreds of community members peacefully marched from the Galvin Middle School to Wakefield Memorial High School to protest the killing of George Floyd and countless other African-Americans who died as the result of police brutality as well as the systemic racism that lies within our country.

Wakefield Memorial High students ReignYah Grant, Faith Defendre and Aurora Leal organized the event that brought the Wakefield community together to shed light on the inequality in the United States when it comes to race. Whether you were a middle school student or someone who witnessed the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s or whether you were black or white, this protest was a united effort that has been visible across major cities, as well as smaller communities such as Wakefield.

Protestors gathered at the Galvin Middle School and marched down Main Street, Water Street and Farm Street before gathering at the Shaun A. Beasley Track and Field at Wakefield Memorial High School. During the march, ReignYah, Faith and Aurora led protestors in chants, including saying the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. This was a testament to honoring the legacy of these souls whose lives were unfairly taken, and continuing to demand action to fix the issues of racism.

After finishing the route of the march, protestors gathered on the Beasley track. ReignYah Grant delivered a powerful message to the crowd over her struggles as a black woman in society today. “I know that there are a lot of people out there who truly don’t understand and that’s okay. I embrace my skin color and my skin is beautiful and rich and worth it. Why is it that my skin color seems to be a threat? Why is it that my skin color scares people?” said ReignYah.

ReignYah spoke of the concept that racism is a learned behavior. “Racism is taught. You are not born hating a skin color. You are taught to hate a skin color but if everyone in our generation can teach the next generation that you don’t have to hate someone for their skin color we just might end racism. You don’t have to judge a person because of their skin color and you don’t have to kill someone because of their skin color,” said ReignYah.

ReignYah concluded her speech with a call to action to educate those who were ignorant and stand up for her friends who experience racism. ReignYah then introduced her mom, Shonnese Grant, who acknowledged each of the girls who organized the march. Shonnese mentioned them by name, Faith, Aurora and ReignYah. She said she intentionally listed their names in order as the first letter of each of their names spelled “FAR.”

Shonnese’s passionate speech focused on how the acronym FAR symbolizes the values needed to carry the Black Lives movement farther and farther beyond the normal news cycle. She explained that the “F” represents faith, or the belief that this change is possible to achieve equality for African-Americans in our society. The “A” represents that even if you have faith, you need powerful, dedicated and meaningful action in order to fight for racial equality. Lastly, the “R” represents resolution. Once someone has the faith and the drive for action, a resolution can be achieved. Once this resolution is achieved, the process repeats with faith and action in order to defeat racism in the US that has been present for over 400 years.

LaToya Nelson, a mother of two children who are in the METCO program, spoke about the mission of the program. Nelson said that the METCO program is an opportunity for her children to achieve a better education, and in order for that education to be successful, her children, along with the other METCO students, should be treated with respect and care. Nelson reflected that in the Pledge of Allegiance that her children would recite every day in school, the phrase “justice for all” is used. She noted that this is not always the case. In a powerful, emotional statement, LaToya explained that in order for her children and other children of color around the world to live the long, successful lives they deserve, action needs to be taken now.

The organizers led the community in a moment of silence lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd.

Aurora Leal expressed the importance of being an ally to the Black Lives Matter campaign and how impressed she was with the turnout for Sunday’s protest. “The amount of people who came out to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement was truly amazing. Everyone who spoke, spoke with such great passion that it brought tears to the eyes of some of the audience. I hope that everyone who attended really took the message that we were trying to convey to heart and try to apply it to their everyday life. I hope that the community will continue to educate themselves and others. Every single one of us has a role to play in stopping racism. We have to continue to fight for what’s right everyday,” said Leal.

Faith Defendre expressed her happiness in the community coming out for the event, but also how the fight is nowhere from being over. “We must continue to have faith in each other, and hold each other accountable. We need to fight racism, from the little jokes told among friends to the systematic oppression that is in place by our government. We will continue and we will not stop by any means necessary. Continue to sign petitions and donate to worthy causes. Let us remember to keep the passion burning when it’s time to vote,” said Defendre.

This event demonstrated the power of the youth today and how we can teach future and current generations to not judge someone by the color of the skin, but by their character and values, and to be proud of who they are.

In the words of Shonnese Grant, “I will not stop. I will go the distance. I will have faith. I will convert that faith to action. Until there is resolution. And then I will start the entire process again.”