Knees of reflection, protest at hospitals

In a remarkable and perhaps unprecedented action, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital employees staged a nine-minute kneeling “peace protest” at noon Friday in sympathy with the demonstrations against police violence currently roiling the nation.

As temperature hovered near 90 degrees, about 200 doctors, nurses and others took a knee on the manicured lawns outside a research tower near the north side of the campus of the worldfamous hospital. They held signs reading “Black Lives Matter” and “White Coats for Black Lives.” Three doctors

of the Memphis Coalition of Concerned Citizens asked participants to close their eyes, travel back in time, and imagine the courage of the actions from the Little Rock Nine, of King, and others whose activism helped lead to the widespread protests seen in Memphis throughout the past week.

Signs posted outside the the museum listed goals of “Preparing Memphis protesters to disrupt the economic system and protect the most vulnerable during an action,” and “uniting Memphis protesters behind a list of ideologies and grievances for these civil disobedience[s].”

Those gathered ringed the civic plaza outside the museum, sitting on the grass.

Most wore masks.

The crowd was diverse, like most of the protests. While the event began with about 200 in attendance, more and more streamed in. Most of those in attendance wore masks, which is advised during the COVID-19 pandemic. If someone didn’t have one, they were offered one by an organizer.

The music of the evening had a theme of activism imbued with wariness of law enforcement. Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” played over the loudspeaker at the beginning of gathering. NWA’S “F--- Tha Police” played near the end.

The crowd broke into about 30 to 35 groups — decided by drawing from packs of playing cards — to learn about the various aspects of civil disobedience. They game-planned and roleplayed specific situations while organizers handed out bottles of water and fruit.

Catherine Lewis, 71, said she “started organizing” at age 18 in South Memphis. She said Thursday night’s event reminded her of the training sessions led by Rev. James Lawson in the 1960s, “but those were more intense. They had to sit at counters and be called names and get kicked around.”

“I feel sad that we still have to do this, and I feel joyful that there are so many different kinds of people willing to step up now,” said Catherine Lewis of the Memphis Coalition of Concerned Citizens.

Asked whether today’s demonstrators would achieve significant social change, she said: “This time, it seems to be sustaining. I think it’s driven not only by the killing of unarmed black men but it’s triggered by overall disgust because Trump is in the White House, and people are sick of the way he leads, or fails to lead.”

One attendee noted how peaceful Memphis’ eight days of protests had been.

“Our city’s not burning, it’s not damaged, it’s not destroyed, and it’s because of these people,” said James Macon, 41, praising the organizers of and participants in the Memphis protests to date.

Late in the evening, longtime activist Al Lewis made a distinction between what he called a protest and pageantry, perhaps a dig at the marches led by Devante Hill, a local pastor who has helped

Training follows more than week of protests

Now, with splinter groups deviating from Hill’s coordinated marches several nights in a row, some organizers are looked to teach tactics so their strategy could have maximum effect.

The training came after eight straight days of protests, which have been almost entirely peaceful, but have also resulted in dozens of arrests and the use of tear gas against protesters.

The protests followed the Memorial Day death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after now-former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder.

Memphis’ peaceful protests have stood in contrast with many cities across the country. Many cities have seen widespread property damage.

However, after some property damage Sunday a, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland instituted a 10 p.m. curfew Monday and has renewed it each of the past three nights, including Thursday. Each night the curfew has been in effect, demonstrators have left without prompting from the Memphis Police Department or other law enforcement agencies.

PHOTOS BY JOE RONDONE/THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL More than 200 members of hospital staff and medical workers take a knee outside Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis to join in peace protests across the nation.

Spiritual Care Director Sarita Wilson-guffin reads a poem dedicated to George Floyd outside Le Bonheur on Friday.

JUSTIN FORD/FOR THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL Demonstrators gather at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, for civil disobedience training on Thursday. Those gathered ringed the civic plaza outside the museum, sitting on the grass. Most wore masks. The crowd was diverse, like most of the protests.