‘HEALING TOGETHER’
UPPER DARBY BOOSTS UNITY IN TROUBLED TIMES
UPPER DARBY » “Black Lives Matter.” That message was repeated as Upper Darby held a “Community Day of Healing” Wednesday evening in front of the Township Building on Garrett road. A large crowd gathered to hear elected officials and residents decry the death of George Floyd and other black men and women who have had their lives taken by police brutality, and to present a united front against the unsettled legacy of race relations in America.
Upper Darby Mayor Barbarann Keffer began the evening with the announcement that the township, with the support of police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt, will sign on to the Obama Foundation’s “My Brother’s Keeper Alliance” pledge.
The four parts of the pledge call for a review of use of force policies in the police department, engagement with the community including listening to experiences and stories from the community as they chart paths forward, sharing of their findings and ideas for reform, and to reform township policies to better serve and protect all members the community.
“The pledge is the right thing, at the right time. It is a first step,” Keffer said. “I know our Upper Darby police and the entire township are committed to the task.”
“Why is this happening over and over and over again?” asked state Rep. Margo Davidson, D-164 of Upper Darby. “We could hardly catch our breaths when Breonna Taylor was shot in her home. The black community said to itself, ‘What can we do? Can we run? Can we sleep? Can we
birdwatch?’ What can we do, America?”
“I am so grateful that America is beginning to answer that question, and even in Upper Darby we can heal together,” Davidson said. “I thank you because at this time of profound grief, support is everything.”
Davidson added she was thankful to the police in Upper Darby after the Sunday evening protests which resulted in damage to stores on 69th Street for using restraint and not using tear gas.
“This has been a powerful two weeks,” said Delaware County Council Vice Chairman Dr. Monica Taylor. “We have to work on this at all levels (of government).”
Taylor said council will be looking inward at issues in the Sheriff’s department as well as considering criminal justice reform.
Upper Darby Councilman Hafiz Tunis, said this is not a black vs. white issue; it’s an everyone against racism issue - not us versus the police but everyone against brutal police.
Among the speakers was Ed Brown, president of the Upper Darby School Board, who said he couldn’t make sense of what occurred to Floyd, the callous act that made him realize, “I cannot protect my children from being black.”
Brown added, “We will do better,” and he promised to do better himself, treating his fellow man with respect, grace and dignity.
“Let’s start today so there are no more senseless murders,” Brown said.
Youth organizer Diamond Gibbs announced a march for the weekend. She said she received backlash for trying to speak up and have heard people complain they’ve had enough of the protests and marches.
“I feel like if anybody is tired of the protests and marches, it’s the black community. We should not have to be doing it in the first place,” Gibbs said. “The first step is acknowledging and understanding that racism is very much still a problem.”
Throughout the evening, songs and performances of healing took place including the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
The evening ended with Rylee Curry, a 2018 graduate of Upper Darby High School, talking about her experiences enduring racism during her years at the different schools in the district. The saddest account she told was in an AP class in high school where a fellow student would hold up a photo of a monkey when she attempted to speak.
“He wanted to mute me, to stop me from speaking,” she said. “But he couldn’t.”
She had this advice for younger people of color: “Don’t let anyone mute you. You are special and deserve to be heard. We will not be silenced.”