Marlinites are ready to see a societal change
Downtown Marlin was lined with cars on Monday night as community members gathered at the Lucille Williams Pavilion for a peaceful protest. Sponsored by the Falls County NAACP, the event began at 5 p.m. and was attended by over 75 citizens.
Many involved wore white shirts emblazoned with “I can’t breathe,” as an ode to the unlawful death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis Police custody on May 25. Floyd was held with a knee to his neck for eight minutes, all the while screaming and pleading for breath.
The Black Lives Matter movement has gathered immense support across the nation, as well as overseas, in the wake of Floyd’s death. There have been a number of both peaceful protests and violent riots in major cities around the United States, all protesting police brutality towards people of color.
The BLM movement is “committed to struggling together and to imagining/creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive,” according to their website.
Marlin protest organizers were Scottie Henderson, Falls County NAACP President, and De’Viar Woodson, a local activist. Both opened the protest with speeches, encouraging the community to allow the situation to spark a change in society.
Henderson noted in his opening speech that though many present were of an older generation or were children, that it’s the adolescent and young adult community that should be involved as well.
“A six year old made this,” he said, holding up to a handmade sign that read ‘it could have been me.’ “He’s right, it could've been any one of us, in any town, in any place.”
“It’s about the young folk and the differences they're making,” he continued.
De’Viar Woodson, one of the organizers for the peaceful protest in Waco held on June 6, is native Marlinite and graduated from Marlin high School in recent years.. The MCC student also noted that many of his peers weren’t at the protest, but says that he will continue to fight injustice and promote change with or without them.
“The fight for systematic change and equality for everyone has never been more important,” Woodson declared. “I hate to think that change started generations before me and the fights y’all have started are still being fought for.”
He then went on to explain the happy accident of the Waco protest, where a small group had planned to protest, but the event turned out bigger than expected because it was picked up by the media.
“I’m thankful for being a part of something that’s bigger than me,” Woodson continued. “It might be about me right now, but it’s about the future generations.”
A number of recognized individuals were present, including but not limited to Falls County Sheriff Ricky Scaman, City Council member Terrence Macdavid, Marlin Mayor Carolyn Lofton, Marlin ISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl Henson, and Marlin City Manager Cedric Davis Sr.
The officer captured on video constricting Floyd’s breathe,Derek Chauvin, was arrested on May 29 on murder and manslaughter charges. Subsequently, the other three officers on the scene, J Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, were all charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, as well as aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. All four officers have lost their positions with the Minneapolis Police Department.
A public viewing for George Floyd was held in Houston Monday and was attended by thousands mourning his death. A funeral was held in Pearland, Floyd’s hometown, on Tuesday. Only 500 people were allowed to attend due to state laws mandating capacity, but the funeral was live-streamed for the world to participate.