By Casey Carpenter

The Village of Newark’s Central Park was filled on Saturday afternoon with community members and families coming out to show their support for the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Hundreds of people, masked in observance of the COVID-19 safety measures, convened upon the grounds, many with signs in hand. The crowd was highly attentive to a series of speeches, given by a variety of people sharing their perspectives on the current civil unrest, including themes of racism and injustice, fears for the lives of young black children.

One particular speaker, Braxton Guy, a Newark graduate, spoke to the crowd about his positive experiences growing up in Newark.  He was thankful to the teachers who saw potential in him during his high school years, but emphatically decried the frustration at not having a single black teacher until entering college, and his outrage at only one month to focus on the contributions of black Americans.

Following him Charlene Gonzalez delivered an emotional speech about her worries for her sons when the color of their skin is seen as a threat, her fears that they may fall victim to police brutality as so many others have before. Choking back tears, she moved the entire crowd with the raw emotion in her testimony.

The crowd also heard from Officer Jacob Jackson,  who shared with the listeners the mantra that he begins each day with, the notion that the police are of the people, citizens who decide to rise above and protect the community. He evoked upon the crowd the guidance of Gandhi to “be the change they wish to see in the world.” 

Reverend Earl Greene shined at the podium, reflecting on his time in the Newark Community, ending with encouraging attendees to join the group of which he is President, Wayne Action for Racial Equality (WARE) to support furthering these efforts in the county.

Sheriff Barry Virts and Newark Village Police Chief Thoms shared their thoughts, emphasizing their horror at the murder of George Floyd and their alignment with the black community, encouraging anyone who feels that racial bias is evident in local police activity, to contact them for immediate correction to the matter.

Attendees were then requested to take a knee, in honor of lives lost.  The crowd became silent, all able to kneel doing so in reverence to those lost and the cause in general.

The march then commenced, with the massive and diverse crowd taking to South Main Street, carrying signs and engaging in call-and-answer for the entirety.  “Black Lives Matter”. “No Peace, No Justice”, “Say His Name, George Floyd”  , “Say Her Name, Breonna Taylor”  as they held their signs high and peacefully shared in the energy of the movement. 

The local police department ensured the safety of the marchers, blocking side streets for their protection. Some village residents on the route sat on their porches, or cars, cheering on the marchers as they passed. At the end of the march, participants were welcomed at the AECC parking lot with cold water and tables ready to help people register to vote or request absentee ballots.

It was a peaceful demonstration against a truly dark and horrific element in American society, stretching into the present from far in the nation’s history.  This past Saturday, the citizens of the Village of Newark began the long path of extricating the evils of institutional and systemic racism, the first step of which is to bring it to light.