The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
SHOWING SUPPORT
Community comes together during ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest
HAMILTON N.Y. » Masked supporters for the “Black Lives Matter” movement filled the village green in the quaint little town of Hamilton on Thursday afternoon.
Though the village may seem small, it appeared that nearly two hundred people showed up for the cause—all masked, peaceful, and ready to listen.
Some in the crowd even got a chance to be heard.
The protest was lead by black Colgate professors Kezia Page, Dominique Hill, and Brenda Sanya with the support of the Hamilton Area Anti-racist Coalition (HAARC).
Vocalizations of racism, trauma, and unjust police brutality were supported through the active silence of attendants lending their ears. Occasionally, the silence transformed into chanting, from “Black lives matter” to “say their name” as a list of black lives lost to acts of police brutality were recited.
“Monstrous deaths have occurred at the hands of police. People that we know like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony Mcdade, and many others that we
don’t know,” one protest leader stated.
The most recent tragedy of George Floyd’s death on May 25 was memorialized with a moment of silence for several minutes representing the amount of time that lapsed as officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck, ultimately ending his life.
“We are here today because we are tired of being afraid...we are here today because we oppose a system that does not protect, respect, or value us. We are here today because that system still does not treat us as fully human,” one black professor stated.
“We can’t breathe.” This phrase was repeated throughout the event in reference to the very words Floyd spoke, “I can’t breathe,” as Chauvin’s knee was pressed into his neck.
“It’s time for a change. We can’t breathe. It’s time Black lives matter,” a protester stated.
Pointing the movement closer to home, protesters voiced their disapproval for Colgate’s action in response to racist acts performed on campus, from past to present.
The myriad of circumstances is great, but the sentiment from the Colgate community is the same— more action is needed, protesters stated.
“Going into a classroom where you’re the only black kid is very daunting. You don’t know what you have to say, you don’t know what you’re going to do because it’s easy for the professor to utilize their power and give you a failing grade, and you can’t feel like you can speak what you want to say,” a black protester and former student confessed.
He added, “That’s not right—we’re here to learn. We’re here to have a college experience, and that’s taken away from us because we feel like we have to cater to the white power that’s in place. That’s not okay.”
One of the black professor’s stated to the Hamilton community, “We are here today because we want to feel like we belong even without our Colgate sweatshirts.”
Protesters agreed that although Hamilton is small and close-knitted, racism can and has penetrated the village, and needs to be addressed. One protesting professor spoke to the ongoing struggle that black communities face daily, asking listeners to think about “the spiritual, the physical, the emotional murdering” that happens each and every day to black individuals.
Perhaps the most moving demonstration, former Oneida Mayor Alden Smith volunteered to sing “We Shall Overcome” and added his input as a decedent of slaves.
There were many tears, and the crowd was filled with goosebumps to hear his words.
An older black Hamilton resident volunteered her voice, sharing her personal experiences of racism and her concern for her own children and family.
“Here we go again,” she said in frustration, acknowledging the injustices of the sixties and beyond in her many years on earth.
She emphasized that a black person’s safety net is only an illusion, commenting that although some black folks may feel safe in
“We are here today because we are tired of being afraid...we are here today because we oppose a system that does not protect, respect, or value us.” — Professor
their village or town, eventually they will have to leave, and there are outsiders traveling through their homes; Anyone with hateful beliefs can come in, and it’s inevitable that black people move about.
“It’s on you to educate yourselves about microaggressions or overt racism,” one protester stated. He continued, “It may be uncomfortable, but guess what? It’s uncomfortable and harmful and scary for black and brown students to live every single day of their lives.”
Protesters asked for reflection and self-examination to those who listened— if you don’t trust the words of the Black community, why not? If your peers are exhibiting views that are hurtful to the Black community, are you willing to question them?
If not, why not?
An array of protest signs raised proudly to the skies by protesters alluded to change, grief, love, and solidarity. Some cardboard, some cut out, some neon and some painted, the protest signs were as diverse as the protesters holding them. Parents attended their children, teenagers stood with attention, and the elderly held their ground at what has likely not been their first protest on such matters.